












































v ^ ; \ 



AV 
<j- ,<V 




^ T> 4, O V " << 

iA v '?/ y o * I. * < 0 N <* 

^ v-' 1 ."*/^ f p* .‘H‘*A* 

*■«. 






* <; 


V* <> “. • ' 4 oV 

**''j.\' „l ' « f 3?- ^ ^ ^ 0~c 

<* c? 






’> 

n f° s . . , % * •■> N o 


^ a 


* <r ■> S \^ , '?/. ' 0 * >> ^0 

ip <£ A « V 1 8 4 *£, p,? 

^ ^ v x _ /v^<?_ *? 

^ ,a\ 

14 ' *-f- V" .-< f^Ca- 1 > t:o' °jg 


•*£ A 

1* r «%>*•,- 

w. X-- ‘ ° r '> *' 

' A .A * 





h ° 



* • ^ 

- 

Jr 

\G ^ **, 

■% nN(7 ^ 

1‘ t u 4 <?> A 

* ..rSS^v x 'f- 

<' % y '^. a\ 



^ A 


7. 



. <CT 

\ 

,0' 

V V 

A^' '\P. c 'V/ » 

ry> Or <3 & A o 

O «/ r, 

\ .Hi . 'f* 0 * K <° . <- ‘ 

- 9j> f o v c° N ^ ^ 

^ :i •&* -w - , f „v : r v* 



o 4 * 7 % 

S $* 

r - * 7 " ' #N5 '° <* O' rLlr 

, °-2 * a N 0 \A 
' *, ■=>, V * ' ■ », 

>„ ,v, .'■, <?L-9 , V .* . 

A ,: ■', = %$ 


9 \ *\ 



A v ** 


\\ 


0 o 


y»' ,0- 






\° ^ 



cr s ' 15 * / x - 
N j(/V P 


-> 53 ^ 








"' >S%- a N ” 

s\ x ' ♦ \ r 'K< ^ 

^ ■< * #-\iV \ ° ^ $ 

C. 

. .. . ^ ^ r, 

> i+">< 7 b 0^ ONC -.£,*' ***' A V , , , ^ ^ 

° c>° •'•-«- % * ■# V* •% 9-, ,0 .° N, ^iP 

o 0 x ; •' , v V 



i ^ ^ , ** 

V I- 


^ 7 3 N o y'V 

C> V “ v 1° 

v- aV * r{\% ; " 

' ^ t: 

^ *P 

^ '. 0 N <• * s ' A^ tin j/. y 0 » \ ^ 


A 







7 

% * 

v M 0 v 

fy O 

v x 













\ \ I ft ' o # k js\j z' */ \ A O 

/*/ ■ ; '' - j „ °°' :••"%, * * /* *v .'.“< % ^ o° v 

’ : f£..K : ' . : o : Smfep : °o s * % 

,* * i. • • V & c y , v •••-' , ,y + 

^ 3 ^ 0 v \ V ^ * * , A * A 0 , * * , s 0 5 v\ %V 

V % > * o f ^ cy s s ',, & \> % ' * 0 r 


0" *, 


\' N 

✓ x> ■ _ /. V ~ ^ -A CL^ 

v.A.,v*Vt— 

•f . <s 


"o 0 N 


.A J \ ^ 

A 


o 




A v A> 

sV 




< \ 
o 0 


* » N 0 5 v * V 


"v> * 

^ ’ll' 5 /-.V 

^cy s s 

\ ' *'?' y '*&c'!~'7'Sfe^ * 

.# ^ 1 ^'- °o c.° • 



X <_>> ^ V 

-v ® * A C^ •> 

' A 1 v,. %- '°-' 

y* \ v N ^ k o r> 

* ^ ^ .*5 V 1 ^<5 (• '• 

^ a'- * Md ■ '5- + + 

++ v ;/ r n ?: , ; A : ^ 0 ^ 

N° 3 «5 ^ 



" * 00 * 

L -KS' x ' A C^ > NKi ^ "V ^/- 

_ N» < * * I /' ^ \ X 

7 // c> ^ ^ 0 / > 



































FAVOURITE FRENCH 
FAIRY TALES 






CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Cinderella Charles Perrault 9 

Little Red-Riding-Hood Charles Perrault 25 

The Sleeping Beauty Charles Perrault 35 

Diamonds and Toads Charles Perrault 57 

Puss in Boots Charles Perrault 71 

Beauty and the Beast Madame Leprince de 

Beaumont 85 

Little Thumbling Charles Perrault 117 

Riquet with the Tuft Charles Perrault 143 

The White Cat Charles Perrault 159 

Prince Darling Madame Leprince de Beaumont 195 
Goldenlocks Madame d’Aulnoy 223 


5 














ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Nearly Bedtime ! Frontispiece 

Cinderella prepares her Sisters for the 

Ball 12 

Little Red-Riding-Hood in the Wood 28 

The Sleeping Beauty awakes 50 

Puss pays Respects to the Ogre 80 

Little Thumbling overhears his Father’s 

Plan 120 

Prince Riquet accosts the Princess 148 

Avenant pleads with Goldenlocks 236 


7 










CINDERELLA; OR, THE LITTLE 


GLASS SLIPPER 

NCE there was a gentleman who mar¬ 
ried, as his second wife, a most proud 



V —y and selfish woman, who had two 
daughters as overbearing as herself. 

He, too, had a daughter—a charming girl, 
whose disposition was like that of her own 
mother, who had been loved by all for her 
gentleness and kindly ways. 

When the daughter was christened a fairy 
had appeared to act as godmother, and as the 
child grew up it was clear that she had received 
the best gift of all—a character that could not 
easily be spoiled. 

No sooner were the marriage festivities over 
than the new wife showed her true character by 


9 



FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
a violent outburst of temper against her step¬ 
daughter. And all because the well-bred man¬ 
ners of the unfortunate girl made her own rude 
daughters seem hateful. 

She determined to put her stepdaughter in 
her place, so she set her to do the most menial 
work of the house, to wash dishes, scour pots 
and pans and scrub the tables. It was she 
who had to polish the oak floors of the rooms 
where Madam and her two fine daughters slept. 

A bare garret at the top of the house and 
a hard straw mattress were her portion, while 
their ladyships had soft beds, handsome furni¬ 
ture, and great mirrors in which they could see 
themselves from head to foot. 

The poor girl bore it all very patiently. 
She dared not complain to her father; he 
would only have scolded her, being completely 
under his wife’s thumb. 

When she had finished her work, the poor 
girl was always so tired that she just sat down 
in a corner of the wide kitchen fireplace, with 
her feet near the ashes for warmth. Because 
of this, all made game of her; the elder 
io 


CINDERELLA 

sister called her * Cinder-scraper 5 ; but the 
younger, who was not quite so rude, dubbed 
her ‘ Cinderella.’ 

None the less Cinderella, in her poor work¬ 
ing clothes, was far more handsome than they 
in their splendid gowns. 

Now it happened that the King’s son was 
to give a ball, and all the nobility were invited. 
The two sisters were also invited, for the family 
cut quite a grand figure in the neighbourhood. 

As you may suppose, this invitation pleased 
them mightily, but for Cinderella it meant more 
hard work, as it was she who ironed the linen 
her sisters wore, and who goffered their lace 
frills. 

The stepsisters spoke of nothing else but 
how they would dress for the occasion. 

“ I,” said the elder sister, “ will wear my 
crimson velvet robe newly trimmed with my 
rare old lace.” 

“ I,” said the younger, “ shall put on my 
usual skirt, but I shall wear an over-dress of 
gold brocade, and my diamond bodice-front, 
which is not unworthy of notice.” 

ii 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

They engaged the services of the most 
fashionable dressmakers, and they bought their 
patches from the most noted maker. 

They even talked over their attire with 
Cinderella, for they knew what good taste she 
had. 

She not only gave them excellent advice, 
but she also offered to dress their hair herself. 
This offer they accepted gladly, and while she 
was brushing their tresses they unfeelingly 
asked her if she, too, would not like to go to 
the ball. 

“ Oh ! please do not laugh at me ! ” she 
exclaimed. cc You know that balls are not for 
the like of me ! ” 

“ You are quite right,” said the elder sister. 
“ People would roar with laughter if they saw 
a cinder-scraper entering the ball-room ! ” 

Cinderella’s beautiful eyes filled with tears. 
Any other girl would have revenged herself by 
dressing their hair badly, but Cinderella’s kind 
heart was proof against the temptation, and 
she was so skilled that no hairdresser in the 
town could excel her. 


12 



CINDERELLA PREPARES HER SISTERS FOR THE BALL 














' 











• * 


































































• ' 

■ 












, 

- 

















f • 








CINDERELLA 

For two whole days the sisters were too 
much excited to take their food. They broke 
a dozen laces trying to draw in their waists to 
make them look slender; they just spent all 
their time before their mirrors. 

At last the great moment arrived. The 
unfeeling sisters set off in high spirits, with 
never a thought for Cinderella, who followed 
them with her eyes as long as she could see 
them. When the coach was quite out of sight 
her brave young heart failed her, and she burst 
into tears. 

At that moment her Godmother appeared 
before her. 

“ What is the matter, dear child ? ” she 
asked. 

“ I wish ... I wish . . Cinderella’s 
sobs choked her voice, and she could get no 
farther. 

“ You wish that you also could go to the 
ball—do you not ? ” said her Godmother kindly. 

“ I do . . . I do . . .” sobbed Cinderella. 

“ Well, you are a good girl and I shall see 
to that,” said the Godmother. 

13 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

She led Cinderella to the hall and bade her 
go to the garden and fetch a pumpkin. 

Cinderella looked for the biggest she could 
find, and brought it to her Godmother, secretly 
wondering how a pumpkin could help her to 
get to the ball. 

The Godmother scooped out the inside, 
leaving only the rind, then she touched this 
with her magic wand, and lo ! in its place stood 
a gorgeous gilded coach ! 

Then she went to the mouse-trap and found 
six mice all alive. Telling Cinderella to raise 
the trap-door only a little way to let the mice 
out one at a time, she touched each with her 
wand as it passed, and changed it into a beau¬ 
tiful horse. Thus there stood a splendid team 
of six well-matched dapple-grey horses, which 
any king might have envied—but there was no 
coachman! 

Cinderella, who had looked on with wonder, 
now cried: “ I will run and see if there is 
anything in the rat-trap. If there is a rat 
in it, we might perhaps make a coachman of 
him ! ” 


14 


CINDERELLA 

“You are right,” said the Godmother; “go 
and see.” 

Cinderella brought the trap—it had three 
fine rats in it. Choosing the one that had the 
longest whiskers, with a touch of her wand the 
fairy changed him into a stately coachman, with 
the handsomest moustaches you ever saw. 

Then she said : “ Go to the garden and 
bring me the six lizards which you will find 
behind the watering-pot.” 

Cinderella brought them, and in a trice they 
were changed into six footmen with gold-laced 
liveries, who stepped up behind the coach, 
bearing themselves with as much dignity as if 
they had been fine lackeys all their lives. 

Pointing to the coach with its splendid trap¬ 
pings, the fairy turned to Cinderella: “ There 
is what is needed to take you to the ball—does 
it please you ? ” 

“ Oh, yes, dear Godmother, but how can I 
myself go in these ugly ojd clothes ? ” 

Her Godmother touched her lightly with the 
wand, and lo ! she stood dressed in cloth of 
gold and silver, all set with sparkling jewels, 
15 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
while a pair of fine glass slippers gave an 
exquisite finish to her magnificence. 

Thus attired Cinderella now seated herself 
in the coach, but before starting she was 
warned by her Godmother that she must not 
stay after midnight, that if she remained at the 
ball one moment later her coach would again 
become a pumpkin, her horses would be mice, 
her footmen lizards, and she would find herself 
once more in her old clothes. 

Cinderella promised faithfully to leave before 
midnight, and set off with a joyful heart. 

Her arrival at the palace made a great stir; 
word was at once brought to the King’s son 
that a great princess whom no one knew had 
come, and he hastened to go himself to receive 
her. 

He reached the courtyard in time to assist 
her to alight, and taking her hand he conducted 
her to the ballroom, where the brilliant com¬ 
pany was assembled. As they entered there 
was a sudden hush—the musicians stopped, the 
dancers stood still, everyone’s gaze was riveted 
on the dazzling beauty of the unknown princess. 

16 


CINDERELLA 

Then there was a low murmur of voices from 
every side : “ How lovely she is ! ” 

Even the aged King could not take his eyes 
off her, and he remarked softly to the Queen 
that it was many years since he had seen any¬ 
one so lovely and so lovable. 

The ladies took every opportunity of study¬ 
ing the make of her garments, and the dressing 
of her hair, in order to have them copied if only 
they could find materials as rich and people 
clever enough to do it. 

The King’s son gave Cinderella the place of 
honour, and led her out as his partner in the 
dance. She danced so gracefully that everyone 
admired her more and more. 

Delicious refreshments were served—fruits, 
ices, jellies, and wines—but the Prince quite for¬ 
got to eat, his mind being so full of the beauti¬ 
ful stranger, to whom he offered every dainty. 

She had seated herself beside her sisters, 
and she showed them many polite attentions, 
giving them a share of the good things which 
the Prince had brought her. 

This gave them a pleasant surprise, as they 

17 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
did not in the least recognize Cinderella in the 
seeming princess who was so gracious to them. 
The beautiful stranger was still talking to them 
when she heard the clock strike a quarter to 
twelve ; she rose at once, and making a low 
curtsey to the company, she retired as quickly 
as possible. 

On returning home Cinderella found her 
Godmother awaiting her; after thanking her 
warmly, she told her how much she wished to 
go again the next evening, as the King’s son 
had determined to give another ball and had 
pressed her to come. 

She was still telling her Godmother of the 
happenings at the ball when her two sisters 
knocked at the door, so she ran to open it for 
them. 

“ How late you are ! ” she exclaimed, rub¬ 
bing her eyes, yawning and stretching herself 
as if just newly awakened from sleep, though 
indeed sleep had not been in her thoughts since 
their departure. 

“ If you had been at the ball you would not 
have felt tired,” said one of the sisters. 

18 


CINDERELLA 

“ There was a beautiful princess there—so 
beautiful that no one ever saw her equal. She 
was most polite and attentive to us, and gave 
us some of the choice dainties which the Prince 
had given to herself,” said the other sister. 

Cinderella could hardly hide her joy. She 
asked them the name of the princess, but they 
told her that no one knew it—that the King’s 
son was so much in love with her that he 
would give all he had in the world to know 
who she was. 

Cinderella smiled as she said, “ She must 
have been beautiful indeed ! How fortunate you 
are ! Is it not possible for me also to see her ? 
Oh ! Miss Charlotte, could you not lend me the 
yellow frock which you wear every day ? ” 

“ Lend my frock to a mean cinder-scraper 
like you ! ” exclaimed Charlotte. “ You must 
take me for a fool indeed ! ” 

Cinderella expected some such answer and 
was quite pleased, for it would have placed her 
in a very difficult position if her sister had been 
willing to lend her the frock. 

Next evening the two sisters were again at 
19 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
the ball, and so was Cinderella, even more 
richly dressed than upon the former occasion. 

The King’s son was constantly at her side, 
making pleasant little speeches and paying her 
compliments. 

Far from getting weary, Cinderella enjoyed 
the ball so much that she completely forgot 
her Godmother’s warning, and the first stroke 
of twelve rang out when she thought it was 
only a little after eleven o’clock. She rose in a 
moment, and fled as lightly as a fawn. 

In her haste one of her glass slippers dropped 
from her foot upon the stair; she could not 
stop to pick it up, and before she reached the 
hall the last stroke of twelve had sounded. 

The Prince had followed her quickly; not a 
trace of her could he find but the little glass 
slipper on the stair. You may be sure that he 
picked this up with great care. 

Cinderella got home quite out of breath, 
without carriage, horse, or servant, and without 
a vestige left of all her magnificence, except one 
slipper like the one she had dropped. 

The guards at the palace gate were ques- 
20 


CINDERELLA 

tioned, but they had seen no princess going out, 
nor indeed anyone but a young girl who was 
so poorly dressed that she looked more like a 
peasant than a fine lady. 

When the sisters returned from the ball, 
Cinderella asked if they had again enjoyed 
themselves, and if the stranger princess was 
there. 

They said she was, but that, when midnight 
had struck, she had gone off so hurriedly that 
she had dropped one of her little glass slippers 
—the prettiest little thing in the world; that 
the King’s son had picked it up and had done 
nothing but look at it ever since, thus showing 
how deeply in love he must be with the beau¬ 
tiful lady to whom it belonged. 

They were quite right, for a few days later 
the King’s son had it proclaimed by sound of 
trumpet that he would wed the lady whose 
foot the glass slipper would fit exactly. 

A gentleman of the court was sent round 
with the slipper to see it tried on. He took it 
first to the princesses, next to the duchesses, 
then to each of the ladies of the court, but all 
21 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
to no purpose. Then he brought it to the two 
sisters, who did their very best to pull it on, 
but in vain. 

Cinderella, who had been looking on, now 
said, with a laugh : “ Let me try—perhaps I 
shall be the lucky girl! ” At which the sisters 
burst into scornful laughter. 

The gentleman who carried the slipper 
looked attentively at Cinderella, whose appear¬ 
ance pleased him very much. “ It would only 
be fair,” said he; “ my orders are to let every 
girl try it, till the owner is found.” 

Making Cinderella sit down, he presented 
the slipper, and her neat little foot went into 
it quite easily—indeed, the slipper fitted it like 
wax. 

Great was the amazement of the two sisters, 
but it was greater still when Cinderella drew 
the other slipper from her pocket and put it 
on! 

At that moment the Godmother appeared, 
and with a touch of her wand she changed 
Cinderella’s poor clothes into even more magni¬ 
ficent garments than the former ones. 

22 


CINDERELLA 

The two sisters now recognized her as the 
beautiful stranger they had seen at the ball; 
they threw themselves at her feet, begging her 
to forgive all their bad treatment of her. 

Cinderella raised them, and kissed them 
affectionately, saying she forgave them with all 
her heart, and that she hoped henceforth they 
would love her. 

She then gave her hand to the gentleman, 
who conducted her with great ceremony to the 
palace. When the Prince beheld her, in all the 
magnificence of the attire which her Godmother 
had bestowed upon her, he thought her more 
lovely than ever, and a few days later they were 
married. 

Cinderella, who was as kind and good as she 
was beautiful, gave her two sisters apartments 
in the palace, and in due course got each of 
them married to a nobleman of the court. 


23 











LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD 


O NCE in a village by the side of a forest 
there lived the very prettiest little girl 
in the whole wide world. 

Her mother loved her dearly, and her grand¬ 
mother, who lived in a village on the other side 
of the wood, just adored her. 

The good old woman got a little red cloak 
with a hood made for her darling, who looked 
so charming in it that everyone began to call 
her Little Red-Riding-Hood. 

One day, when her mother was baking, 
hearing that Grandmother was not very well, 
and knowing that she liked girdle-cakes, she 
made one specially for her. She also put some 

1 I have departed from Perrault’s ending; thus Little Red- 
Riding-Hood lives happy ever after!— Translator, 

25 






















FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
newly churned butter in a little pot for her, to 
tempt her appetite. 

These she put in a little basket, covered 
them neatly with a white napkin, and called 
Little Red-Riding-Hood. 

“ I want you to go to your grandmother’s, 
my dear; she is not feeling well. Take her this 
cake and little pot of fresh butter from me. 
Say I hope she will enjoy them, and I should 
like to know how she is.” 

It was a lovely day, and Little Red-Riding- 
Hood set off gaily, greatly pleased to be sent 
on such an errand all by herself. 

Her road lay through the wood, which, to 
her, seemed always full of lovely and wonderful 
things. 

The great trees threw patches of dappled 
shadows across the road, and as she went along 
she watched the butterflies flitting from flower 
to flower, the white-tailed rabbits scurrying 
off into the wood, and the gold-and-green- 
backed beetles shimmering by the edge of the 
grass. 

A squirrel sprang from tree to tree, as if to 
26 


LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD 
keep her company, peering at her slyly from 
behind the branches. 

Birds sang, insects hummed, and the 
measured thud of the wood-cutters’ axes beat 
time to the music with which the air was throb¬ 
bing ; everything seemed full of joyous life. 

Near the middle of the wood, a great wolf 
stepped softly into the road, and bade the little 
girl “ Good morning ! ” 

He had seen her coming, and having had 
nothing to eat for three days would have liked 
to devour her at once, but he dared not for 
fear of the wood-cutters. 

“ Where are you going, my little girl ? ” he 
asked. 

The poor child, who knew nothing of the 
danger of waiting to talk to a wolf, answered 
him at once : 

“I am going to my grandmother’s with a 
cake and a pot of butter from my mother.” 

“ Does she live very far from here ? ” 

“ Oh ! yes, farther than the mill you can 
see away over yonder; at the first house in 
the village.” 


27 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ I think I shall go and see her, too,” said 
the cunning wolf. cc I see there are two paths 
to the village : suppose you take this one and I 
the other; we could see which one of us would 
get there first.” So saying, the wolf made off as 
fast as his legs could carry him. 

Little Red-Riding-Hood was in no hurry, 
but gathered some nuts which were growing 
within her reach, and picked the prettiest 
flowers she saw, to make a posy for her grand¬ 
mother, so the wolf easily got to the house long 
before her. 

He knocked— rat-tat. 

“ Who is there ? ” cried a voice from within. 

In as soft a voice as he could, the wolf 
replied: 

“ Your Little Red-Riding-Hood, bringing 
you a girdle-cake and a pot of fresh butter 
from Mother.” 

The grandmother, feeling rather faint, had 
lain down to rest on her bed in the curtained 
recess. 

“ Pull the string,” she cried, “ and the latch 
will lift.” 


28 



LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD 

The wolf pulled the string and the door flew 
open. In a moment he sprang on the poor old 
woman, and swallowed her at one gulp ; but her 
nightcap fell off on the floor. 

Shutting the door, the wolf picked up the 
cap and tied it on, pulling it forward almost 
over his eyes, but he could not hide his ears, so he 
got into bed, drew the curtain forward to shade 
his face, pulled the coverlet up round his head, 
and lay still, waiting for Red-Riding-Hood. 

Now, after the wolf left the little girl in the 
forest, one of the wood-cutters noticed a move¬ 
ment in the long grass, a little way off, and saw 
something dark passing swiftly between the 
bushes. He had heard the day before that a 
wolf had recently been seen prowling near the 
forest. 

“ Ha ! ” he said to himself, “ the brute 
knows better than to come near men with 
axes! ” 

Some time later, standing up for a moment 
to look around, he spied in the distance a speck 
of red moving along the road not far from the 
village. 


29 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ It is the Little Red-Riding-Hood going to 
see her grandmother,” thought he. “ The old 
lady will be pleased ! ” 

Next moment he remembered the wolf! 
Clutching his axe, he ran with long, rapid 
strides in the direction of the moving red 
figure, hoping to overtake her before any harm 
should befall her. He had never run so fast, 
but he was still a little way off when Red- 
Riding-Hood reached her grandmother’s door. 

She knocked— rat-tat-tat. 

A strange, hoarse voice asked, “ Who is 
there ? ” 

“ What a bad cold poor Grannie has got,” 
thought the little girl, but she answered, quite 
brightly : 

“ It is your Little Red-Riding-Hood. I am 
bringing you a cake which Mother has baked for 
you, and a little pot of sweet fresh butter to eat 
with it. I am to take her word how you are.” 

“Pull the string and the latch will lift,” 
wheezed the wolf. 

Little Red-Riding-Hood pulled the string, 
the door opened, and she went in. 

30 


LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD 

The wolf drew the bed-clothes higher up 
round his head : 

“ Put the cake and the pot of butter in the 
bread-bin, set the basket on the lid, and come 
and lie down beside me.” 

Little Red-Riding-Hood did as she was told; 
then she took off her cloak and climbed on the 
bed, but suddenly sat back, amazed to see how 
strange her grandmother looked in her night¬ 
clothes. In a tone of wonder, she exclaimed : 

“ Oh ! Grannie, what great, big arms you 
have got! ” 

“ All the better to hug you with, my child.” 

“ Oh ! Grannie, what great legs you have 
got! ” 

“ All the better to run with, my child.” 

“ Oh ! Grannie, what great, big ears you 
have got! ” 

“ All the better for hearing with, my child.” 

“ Oh ! Grannie, what great, big eyes you 
have got! ” 

“ All the better for seeing with, my child.” 

“ But, Grannie, what terrible teeth you 
have got! ” 


3i 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Just the right size for eating you up ! ” 

With this, the wolf opened his great jaws— 
but hark !—heavy, rapid footsteps—a swift 
shadow crossing the window—a strong hand 
on the latch ! 

With one bound the wolf reached the door, 
only to be stretched dead on the threshold by 
the blow of an axe ! The woodman was there 
—but had he been in time to save the inmates 
of the cottage ? 

A piteous wail, “ My grannie ! my grannie ! 
where is my grannie ? ” showed him that Red- 
Riding-Hood was safe, and, looking around for 
the old woman, his eye caught the nightcap 
trailing on the floor, the strings still round the 
wolf’s neck. He understood. 

Taking his big clasp-knife from his pocket 
he opened it, and slit the monster open from 
head to tail—there lay Grannie ! 

The woodman lifted her gently out—she was 
alive and unhurt! 

The kettle she had put over the fire before 
lying down was boiling merrily, and in a 
very short time they were all three enjoying 
32 


LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD 
a good cup of tea with girdle-cake and fresh 
butter. 

Then, when the grandmother had kissed her 
darling to her heart’s content, the woodman 
took Little Red-Riding-Hood up in his arms 
and carried her all the way home through the 
wood to her mother, who, you may be sure, 
could not make too much of her. 


33 










THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 

LONG time ago there lived a King 
and Queen, who for many years had no 



J ^family, and, being very fond of chil¬ 
dren, they were almost heart-broken at their 
misfortune. 

At last, to their great joy, the Queen had a 
little daughter. 

The news of the birth of a Princess spread 
rapidly over the whole kingdom. Everyone 
kept holiday for a week. Bonfires blazed on 
the hilltops, and church bells rang merry peals 
to celebrate the event. 

The King ordered that the christening 
should be the grandest ever known, and, in 
order that his daughter might have every charm 
and accomplishment, he invited all the fairies 


35 

















FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
that could be found in the country, seven in 
number, to come and be sponsors to the little 
Princess—for every fairy godmother makes some 
rare gift to her godchild. 

After the baptism, the whole company re¬ 
turned from the church to the palace, where a 
great banquet had been prepared for them, and, 
as was usual on state occasions, the covers— 
that is, the plates—drinking goblets, spoons, 
knives and forks were all of pure gold. 

The seven fairies were given places of 
honour at the feast, and for each of them the 
King had got specially made a magnificent case 
of pure gold set with rubies and diamonds, to 
hold her knife, fork and spoon, which she was 
to take as a keepsake to remind her constantly 
of her royal goddaughter. 

As the fairies took their places at table, there 
entered a very old fairy, who had not been 
invited because no one remembered her. As 
she had not been outside her tower for over 
fifty years, people thought her either dead or 
enchanted. 

On seeing her the King welcomed her most 
36 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
kindly, and led her to the table, causing a gold 
cover to be brought for her. But he could not 
give her a jewelled gold case like the others, as 
only seven had been made, and the old fairy 
considered this a slight and vowed vengeance in 
her heart. As she took her seat, she muttered 
some angry words between her teeth. The 
young fairy who sat next her noted this, and 
greatly feared that the old woman meant some 
harm to the little Princess. 

During the feast this kind-hearted young 
fairy never thought of the grand dishes she was 
tasting—her mind was busy planning how to 
save the royal infant from the wrath of the older 
and more powerful fairy. She knew that the 
youngest, being the least important, would be 
asked to present her gift first, and each would 
follow in turn, finishing with the eldest, yet she 
saw that, to do any good, she herself must be 
the last to speak. Before the feast was ended 
she had planned what to do. 

Fortunately, the young fairy was not very 
tall, and as the guests rose from the table and 
crowded into the great hall, she slipped behind 
37 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
the rich tapestry curtains which adorned the 
walls, no one missing her. 

Then the ceremony of the Fairy-gifts began. 

The first fairy endowed the Princess with 
dazzling beauty; the next with the tenderness 
and sweet temper of an angel; the third with 
such grace of movement and charm of manner 
that she would be loved by all who saw her; 
the fourth with the gift of dancing as lightly as 
a sunbeam. 

The fifth gave her a voice of such beauty 
that no singing-bird could excel her; and the 
sixth gave her the art of playing every known 
instrument to perfection. 

It was now the turn of the old fairy, who 
stepped forward with spiteful eagerness. Lean¬ 
ing on her ebony stick, her old head shaking 
more from temper than from age, she hissed 
out: “ The child shall not grow up to woman¬ 
hood—she will prick her finger with a spindle 
and die of the wound ! ” 

As this announcement was made, the whole 
company drew back with shuddering horror; 
many burst into tears. 

38 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 

The King and Queen, who had been radiant 
with happiness while one good gift after another 
was showered on their darling, now clasped each 
other’s hands and stood in mute agony, unable 
to relieve themselves by tears. 

Just then, a clear young voice rang out from 
between the curtains which she was parting 
with her hands : 

“ Be comforted, my dear King and Queen ! 
I have yet to speak—the worst shall not happen! 
True, I have not the power to undo all that my 
superior in age, rank, and power has decreed, 
but I can and I will lessen the misfortune. 

“It must come to pass that the Princess 
shall prick her hand with the spindle of a 
distaff, but she shall not die of the wound; 
she will fall into a deep sleep, which shall last 
for a hundred years. At the end of that time 
the son of a King shall come to awaken her, 
and to claim her for his bride.” 

During this speech you could have heard a 
pin fall, and at its end a great sigh of relief 
seemed to escape from everyone in the hall; 
but on looking round not a fairy was to be 
39 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
seen! It was against the custom of Fairyland 
for one fairy thus to interfere with another, and 
every fairy dreaded the consequence. 

The King and Queen were filled with grati¬ 
tude to the young fairy whose kindness of heart 
had given her courage to speak last and save 
their daughter, though she could not wait to 
receive their thanks. 

Much comforted, the King, who was a man 
of action, immediately took steps to postpone 
the calamity as long as possible, that the Queen 
and himself might enjoy the company of their 
beautiful child for some years at least. He 
issued a proclamation forbidding anyone in his 
dominions to spin with a distaff and spindle, or 
even to have a spindle in her possession, on 
pain of death. 

Some fifteen or sixteen years later, the King, 
Queen, and young Princess went with their 
retinue to one of their country seats, a very old 
castle, where they could enjoy some fine hunt¬ 
ing and other sports. 

The young Princess, who had read the his¬ 
tory of the castle with great interest, amused 
40 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
herself by examining the old rooms with their 
beautiful tapestries, and trying to find out the 
hiding - places and secret stairs behind the 
panelled walls which she had heard so many 
stories about; and one day she went up the 
high tower of the old keep. At the top of the 
winding stair was a small door, which she 
opened and passed through. 

She found herself in a small garret, where, 
to her great surprise, sat an old woman spinning 
with her distaff—the old lady had never heard 
that the King had forbidden such spinning. 

“ Whatever is it that you are doing, my good 
woman ? ” asked the Princess. 

“ I’m spinning, my pretty girl,” replied the 
old woman, who did not know, in the least, who 
it was who spoke. 

“ Oh, how lovely! ” cried the Princess. “ Let 
me try if I can do it, too ! ” So saying, the 
gay, impulsive girl caught hold of the spindle, 
and, not knowing how to use it, she pierced 
her hand with the sharp point, and fell fainting 
at the feet of the distressed and alarmed old 
woman, who called loudly for help. 

4i 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

People came running from all sides, and 
every means was tried to revive the Princess. 
Cold water was thrown on her face, the palms 
of her hands were slapped, her clothes were all 
unfastened, her temples were rubbed with toilet 
vinegar, but all was useless—nothing could 
restore her. 

The King and Queen heard the running and 
the confused noise of voices as they came in 
from the garden, and went to find out what it 
meant. The sounds led them to the top of 
the tower, where the attendants stood aside 
to let them pass. There, on the floor of the 
garret, lay their beautiful daughter! They 
saw with dismay that the fairy-decree had 
begun to operate, and knew that nothing 
could be done to shorten the long sleep now 
begun. 

The King had his lovely daughter carried 
down to her own room, where the Queen her¬ 
self assisted the maids-of-honour to rearrange 
her golden hair, and to dress her in the richest 
clothes in her wardrobe; then the King went 
to superintend the officers and men-servants 
42 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
while they prepared the most magnificent room 
in the palace to receive her. 

When all was ready the Princess was carried 
there and laid on a gorgeously gilded bed, hung 
with curtains of cloth of gold, and with a coverlet 
closely embroidered with gold and silver. 

As she lay there in her perfect beauty, one 
might have taken her for an angel. Her cheeks 
had not lost their exquisite rose tint, and her 
lips remained as red as coral. Her eyes, indeed, 
were closed, but the gentle heaving of her 
bosom and the soft sound of her breathing 
showed that, though unconscious, she was not 
dead. 

The King and Queen gazed long and ten¬ 
derly on their beloved daughter. They knew, 
however, that they could not alter her fate, 
so they made all arrangements to ensure her 
being undisturbed during her long, long sleep, 
and they comforted themselves with the know¬ 
ledge that she would yet wake up to happy life, 
though they might not live to see it. 

The kind young fairy who had saved the 
Princess from the sleep of death happened to 
43 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
be a thousand leagues away, in the Kingdom of 
Mattaquin, at the time; but a little dwarf, whose 
boots enabled him to spring over seven leagues 
at a stride, sped off at once to tell her. In her 
fiery chariot drawn by winged dragons she 
drove through the air at incredible speed, and 
reached the castle just as the arrangements were 
completed. 

The King went to receive her, and after 
thanking her for coming so promptly to com¬ 
fort them, he told her all that had been already 
done by the Queen and himself. 

The fairy approved of all, but being pos¬ 
sessed of great foresight as well as sympathy, 
she imagined how lonely and shy the Princess 
was likely to feel on awaking a hundred years 
later, to find herself alone in the castle, with no 
one she knew to speak to her, or to do any thing 
for her—only the young Prince, who would also 
be a stranger. 

Quick as thought, she stepped lightly round, 
touching with her magic wand every living 
thing in the castle except the King and Queen, 
whose duties now called them elsewhere— 
44 




THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
governesses, maids-of-honour, chambermaids, 
officers, house-stewards, butlers, cooks, scullery- 
maids, errand-boys, guards, gate-keepers, foot¬ 
men—and at the touch each one fell into a deep 
sleep, only to awake with their mistress at the 
end of a hundred years ! 

The fairy did not stop there. Going into 
the stables, she touched horses and grooms, 
corn, straw, and bran; in the courtyard she 
touched the great mastiffs; in the kitchen she 
touched the spits with the pheasants and par¬ 
tridges already half cooked, and all stood still in 
an instant—even the fire came under the spell, 
so that at the moment of awaking everything 
might go on as if it had never stopped. Finally, 
she touched the little lap-dog, Fluff, which had 
curled itself up beside its mistress on the 
gorgeous covering of the bed. All this had 
taken only a few moments—fairies do not loiter 
over their work! 

Bidding the King and Queen farewell, the 
fairy re-entered her chariot, the dragons spread 
their wings, and the equipage shot through the 
air like a meteor, leaving a trail of brilliant 
45 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
light behind it. Then the King and Queen 
kissed their daughter many times without fear 
of awaking her, and sorrowfully returned to the 
palace. 

Before leaving, the King had given orders 
that no one whatever should be allowed to go 
near the castle, lest prying, inquisitive people 
should disturb its calm repose; but the kind 
fairy, unknown to him, had seen to that. 

A quarter of an hour after their Majesties 
had left, the great park was surrounded by a 
perfect forest of great trees of every description, 
standing up from a thicket of briers, thorns, and 
great trails of strong ivy, all entwined in a solid 
mass that neither man nor beast could penetrate. 
The trees were so high, and the thicket so 
dense, that no part of the castle was visible 
but the top of the tower, and that only from 
a considerable distance. 

The King and Queen lived to a good old 
age, cheering each other by talking of all the 
pretty ways and clever sayings of their beloved 
child, who had left nothing but pleasant memo¬ 
ries of her young life. 

46 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 

After their death, a King of quite a different 
family came to the throne. He was succeeded 
by his son, then by his grandson, who was 
reigning at the end of the hundred years. 
This King had a handsome, spirited young son, 
who was very fond of hunting, and one day 
this young Prince found himself in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of the castle, the tower of which he 
had seen from quite a long way off. He asked 
whose was the castle, and what it was called, 
but no one could tell him its name or that of 
its owner; each peasant whom he asked had 
some mysterious story to tell, but no two 
stories were the same. One said he had heard 
that it was haunted by ghosts of the dead; 
another that all the witches of the country held 
their weekly revels there; and others, that the 
castle belonged to an ogre, who carried off all 
the children he could find, to eat them there in 
safety, as no one but he could penetrate the 
thicket. 

The astonished Prince did not know what to 
make of these tales, till an old peasant, who had 
lived in a cottage near the forest during his 
47 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
whole life, came forward, and respectfully asked 
if he might speak to the Prince, who, liking the 
old man’s appearance, told him to speak on. 

“ Fifty years ago,” said the peasant, “ I re¬ 
member hearing my father tell that, when he 
was a boy, people used to say that the most 
beautiful young Princess that eyes ever beheld 
lay in that castle under a spell which would 
keep her in a deep sleep for a hundred years, at 
the end of which time the King’s son would 
come to awake her, and to claim her for his 
wife, and I make bold to think, sire, that it 
must now be very near the time of her awaking.” 

The Prince believed the old man’s story. 
Full of youthful enthusiasm, and fired with the 
desire to do knightly deeds, he resolved to over¬ 
come every obstacle, and not to allow another 
day to pass before he broke the spell under 
which the beautiful Princess was lying. 

Calling his men to follow him, he rode 
straight toward the forest, and—wonder of 
wonders !—both the great trees and the under¬ 
wood parted before him, disclosing a long 
avenue, with the walls of the castle visible 
48 



THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
through the opening at the end. He looked 
round for his men, but not one of them was to 
be seen, for the trees and the thicket had closed 
behind him as he passed. If danger there was, 
he saw he must face it alone. 

Where youth and beauty are concerned, how¬ 
ever, danger only inspires a lover with greater 
courage, so he pushed on, undaunted, till he 
reached the outer court of the castle. 

There, the sight that met his eyes almost 
froze the blood in his veins. 

All around, in awful silence, and in every 
possible position, lay, sat, or stood men and 
animals, motionless as stone statues. Close 
beside him at the gate one of the great mastiffs 
seemed to strain at its chain; while on the other 
side lay another, half out of its kennel, its head 
scarcely raised from its outstretched paws. One 
of the gate-keepers had a well-filled glass raised 
half-way to his lips, while another sat on the 
bench, his fingers still touching the empty glass 
he had set down. 

For one dreadful moment the Prince halted, 
the next he strode on. As he passed the keepers 
49 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
his keen eye noted that their faces were red and 
their noses pimpled, and that their countenances 
seemed full of rough good humour. 

His quick wit told him that they were not 
dead, but that motion must have been arrested 
in an instant, by the same spell which bound 
the Princess. This thought dispelled the dread 
which, for a moment, had gripped his heart. 

Crossing the marble pavement of the inner 
court, among many spell-bound attendants, he 
ascended the great stairs and went through the 
guard-room between rows of armed guards, 
whose loud snoring was the only sound he had 
heard, save his own footsteps, since he entered 
the gates of the castle. Passing through room 
after room, he knew by the richer dresses of the 
ladies and the more brilliant uniforms of the 
officers that he was nearing the object of his 
search. Quickening his steps, almost before he 
knew he found himself in a gorgeous apart¬ 
ment, where, on a magnificent bed, draped with 
gold embroideries, lay the most lovely being he 
had ever seen or imagined. She looked about 
sixteen years old, but the charm of her 
50 



THE SLEEPING BEAUTY AWAKES 


i 






































































































* 

























































THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
radiant beauty gave her the appearance of 
belonging to heaven rather than to earth. 

For a while he stood transfixed, gazing on 
the lovely vision with trembling admiration. 
Then slowly and softly he approached and knelt 
down beside the bed. 

The appointed hour had come. 

Under the influence of the loving gaze bent 
upon her the Princess awoke, and, turning 
toward the Prince, she held out her hand, say¬ 
ing in tones of affectionate tenderness : 

“It is you, my Prince ! How long you 
have kept me waiting ! ” 

Charmed and surprised both with this speech 
and with the tone and manner in which it was 
spoken, the Prince kissed the extended hand and 
pressed it to his bosom, declaring that he loved 
her more than his life, and that he would never 
again leave her. 

They were so absorbed in each other that 
the Prince did not even notice that the whole 
household waked up at the same moment as his 
Princess, and continued their work as if it had 
never been interrupted. 

5i 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

The Prince listened more than he talked, as 
everything was new and strange to him, but the 
Princess had been prepared by many beautiful 
dreams sent by the kind fairy, and talked as if 
she had known the Prince for years. 

Four hours passed, and the attendants, not 
being in love, began to be very hungry. One 
of the maids-of-honour could wait no longer, so 
she interrupted their long conversation by telling 
the lovers that supper was served. 

The Prince assisted the Princess to rise, and 
gave her his arm to go down to supper—she did 
not need to change her dress, being already 
magnificently robed, though, like all her retinue, 
in the fashion of a bygone age. She was none 
the less beautiful for that! 

They supped in the hall of mirrors, served 
by the officers of the Princess in their splendid 
uniforms. During supper the musicians played 
beautiful old music which had not been heard 
for many years. 

During supper, the Prince and Princess con¬ 
sulted the chaplain, who supped with them, as 
to how soon their wedding could take place. 

52 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
As the Princess was too young to live alone, and 
had no relative to be her guardian, the good 
man proposed that he should marry them that 
very evening, in the private chapel of the castle, 
which he did in the presence of the whole 
household. 

The youngest maid-of-honour acted as 
bridesmaid, and the lords and ladies of highest 
rank signed the register. 

The chief officer of the household suggested 
that they should celebrate the occasion by a 
ball for the nobility, and another for the servants. 
This proposal pleased everyone. The grand 
ball was held in the ballroom of the castle, the 
Prince and Princess leading the dance, while 
the rest of the retainers danced to their hearts’ 
content in the great servants’-hall. 

There were abundant refreshments for all, 
and, having already slept so long (though they 
did not know it), they danced till morning 
without the least feeling of fatigue. 

Before daybreak, riders on swift horses 
were dispatched by the Prince, with orders not 
to draw rein till they reached the palace, as he 
53 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
knew that his father must already be full of 
anxiety on his account. They also carried a 
letter from him, with some lines added by the 
Princess, telling the King of their great happi¬ 
ness, and how joyfully they looked forward to 
being with him before the day was over, when 
they should have the pleasure of sharing their 
happiness with him. 

The King was no longer young, and since 
the Queen’s death, some years before, he had 
often felt very lonely, so the news gave him 
great pleasure. 

He ordered such festivities as the short 
interval permitted to celebrate the home-coming 
of the newly married pair, and everyone hailed 
the advent of a Princess with delight. 

As the time when they were expected drew 
near, the King stood in the doorway of the 
palace, at the top of the wide marble steps, 
while the attendants stood in a deep circle 
round the court. When the royal couple rode 
through the gateway, and the people caught 
sight of the Princess, “ Long live the Queen of 
Beauty ! ” echoed from every side. 

54 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 
The King had hastened down to welcome 

them, and amid the acclamations he assisted 
the Princess to dismount. He kissed her affec¬ 
tionately on both cheeks, saying : “ A daughter 
needs no formal introduction to her father ”; 

then, placing one of her hands in that of his son, 
while he held the other, he led the way, and 
all three ascended the steps together. Having 
reached the doorway, they turned and stood to 
acknowledge the cheers which greeted them. 
Then the King raised his hand to speak, and 
everyone was silent. 

Turning to the Prince and Princess, he 
said: 

“ My people ! I am old, and need rest. 
To-day I resign my throne. There, before you, 
stand your King and Queen ! He is as brave 
as he is handsome; she is as good as she is 
beautiful! ” 

Then a great shout rent the air : 

“ Long live our King and his beautiful 
Queen ! ” 


55 

















\ 










DIAMONDS AND TOADS 


T HERE was once upon a time a widow 
who had two daughters. The elder was 
so much like her mother, both in appear¬ 
ance and in nature, that people used to say, 
“ If you see the one you see the other; they 
are exactly alike.” And they were both so 
proud, and disagreeable, and ill-natured, that 
no one could bear them; in fact, there was no 
living with them at all. 

The younger daughter, on the other hand, 
was the very image of her dead father, being 
courteous and sweet-tempered, and was also 
one of the most beautiful maidens ever born. 
Everyone sought her company and enjoyed 
talking with her. Indeed, whenever she went 
forth into the fields or into the forest it seemed 
57 




FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
as if even the birds and the butterflies and the 
little flowers were glad to see her. They flut¬ 
tered and nodded, and circled about her head; 
the butterflies rested on her hands, and the 
birds sang more sweetly than ever. 

She was loved by everything in nature, with 
the exception of her mother and sister, who 
well-nigh hated her. They tormented her in 
every possible way, and made her life so miser¬ 
able, that at times she would shrink away, 
weeping bitter tears, and say: “ Oh ! I wish I 
were dead ! ” 

She had to do all the heavy work; it was 
always she who scoured the kitchen, cleaned the 
hearth, did the cooking, washed the dishes; in 
fact, she scrubbed and polished all day long. 
She was never allowed to come into the parlour, 
nor to taste any of the nice dainties which she 
had cooked; all she got was potatoes, with now 
and again a few beans, and the dry bread which 
the others would not eat. At night she slept on 
a mat in the garret, and in winter she was so 
ill-provided with blankets that she often lay 
shivering with cold. 


58 


DIAMONDS AND TOADS 

Yet the little maid did not complain, and 
performed willingly all the work that fell to 
her lot. And whenever she felt specially tired 
and sad a little white dove would suddenly 
make its appearance, a little friend of hers from 
the forest near by. 

“ Cooc-cooroo, cooc-cooroo, my dear ! ” the 
dove would say, as it perched on the window¬ 
sill of the kitchen. “ Are you feeling doleful 
again to-day ? Don’t lose heart; there will be 
an end to all this by and by, and in the end you 
are sure to be happy.” 

Then the little girl would think of her dead 
father, who just before dying had taken her 
hand in his and had said : “ Dear child, remain 
always good and lovable and patient, and think 
often of me; I shall be at your side.” So, as 
the little white dove always appeared just at the 
time when she found her lot hardest to bear, 
she could not but think that it was her father 
who sent the dove to comfort her. 

Perhaps the heaviest work among the poor 
girl’s many tasks was when twice a day she was 
obliged to go and fetch water in a huge earthen- 
59 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
ware pitcher. The well was right in the forest, 
and nearly half an hour’s walk from the house. 
At times she felt so tired that she did not know 
how she could ever carry the heavy pitcher 
home; many a time she had to sit down by the 
way and take breath before she could totter on 
again. And when at last, quite exhausted, she 
did reach her home, she was most often scolded 
by her mother or her sister for having taken so 
long. 

One day, as she was at the well with her 
pitcher, a poor woman suddenly appeared, 
hobbling along a footpath, and begged to be 
allowed to drink from the pitcher. She said she 
had walked a long way and was very thirsty. 

“ Oh, yes, with all my heart, ma’am ! ” the 
girl answered, in her usual friendly manner; 
and after drawing and throwing away two or 
three pitcherfuls of water, in order to have it 
as fresh as possible, she offered it to the old 
dame, holding up the pitcher the while, that 
she might drink more easily. 

When the old woman had drunk and re¬ 
freshed herself, she said to the little maid: 

60 


DIAMONDS AND TOADS 

“You have been so kind, and friendly, and 
mannerly to me that I cannot help presenting 
you with a precious gift.” 

For you must know that this old dame was 
a fairy, who had taken the form of a poor peasant 
woman just to see how far the civility and good 
manners of this pretty girl would go. “I will 
bestow on you this gift,” continued the fairy, 
“ that at every word you speak there shall come 
out of your mouth either a flower or a jewel.” 

The maid was much abashed, and said that 
she wanted no reward, and had done nothing 
to deserve one, since nothing was more natural 
than to offer a drink to an aged woman who 
was thirsty. 

But the fairy answered, with a laugh : “Yes, 
it is just because you find it so natural that I 
am presenting you with a gift. Out of good¬ 
ness comes goodness—it is always so.” 

The next moment the fairy had disappeared 
in the thick underwood of the forest. 

The little maid was much astonished, but 
she took up her pitcher, filled it anew, and set 
out for home. 


61 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

When she got there her mother was stand¬ 
ing at the door, waiting for her with a scowling 
face. 

“ Well! I thought you would never come 
home ! You seem to make a holiday of these 
trips to the well. Now I warn you that hence¬ 
forth you must be back within half an hour, 
and not idle away all your precious time.” 

“ Oh ! Mother, I’m so sorry; but this time 
it wasn’t entirely my fault that I was so long 
in coming back, for . . .” 

While she spoke these words there fell from 
her mouth a succession of roses, pearls, and 
diamonds. 

“ What is this ! ” cried her mother in amaze¬ 
ment. “ I really do believe that these pearls 
and diamonds are falling from her mouth ! 
How is this, my dear ? ” 

It was the first time in her life that she had 
called her daughter ‘ my dear.’ 

Then the little maid told her what had 
occurred in the forest, by the well, and during 
her narrative numbers of diamonds continued 
to drop from her mouth. 

62 


DIAMONDS AND TOADS 

“ So! ” said the mother. “ My elder daughter 
Fanny must also go to the well.” 

“ Fanny, Fanny ! ” she cried, “ come here, 
quick, and just look what drops out of your 
sister’s mouth at every word that she speaks ! 
Wouldn’t it be splendid if you also could obtain 
this gift ? It is quite easily done; you have 
only to go for water to the well, and when an 
old woman appears and asks you for a drink 
out of the pitcher you have only to offer it to 
her.” 

“ No, thanks ! Do you think I would go to 
the well and carry that heavy pitcher with me ? 
I would not think of it. I want no gifts, and I 
am not going.” 

Then her mother got very angry with her, 
and stamped her foot and threatened, and 
ordered her to go that very minute. 

Fanny had to go, grumbling and muttering, 
but she would on no account carry the pitcher, 
and took instead a silver tankard that usually 
adorned the parlour. 

While she was on her way to the well the 
little white dove, which was perched on a high 
63 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
branch among the trees, saw her go by, and 
said : “ Cooc-cooroo, cooc-cooroo! Does her 
mother really believe that precious gifts are to 
be won in this way ? Nay, they must first be 
earned by good deeds. First be earned, and 
then . . . cooc-cooroo, cooc-cooroo , this one will 
come to no good.” 

Fanny was no sooner at the well than she 
saw coming out of the wood a lady most 
gloriously dressed, who came up to her and 
asked to be allowed to drink out of her tankard. 

This was, you must know, the same fairy 
who had appeared to her sister, but who had 
now taken the appearance of a princess, to see 
how far this girl’s rudeness would go. 

“ Do you really believe,” she answered 
rudely, “ that I have come here to give water 
to all and sundry ? No, that was not my pur¬ 
pose in bringing my fine silver tankard. If you 
are thirsty, and want to drink, you may draw 
water for yourself.” 

“ You do not appear to be very mannerly or 
obliging,” answered the fairy, but without show¬ 
ing the least anger. “ Well now, since you are 
64 


DIAMONDS AND TOADS 
so disagreeable, I shall bestow on you this gift, 
that at every word you speak a toad or a snake 
shall drop from your mouth.” 

“ Nay, she cannot do that,” thought Fanny, 
and without troubling herself further about the 
fairy she took up her silver tankard and returned 
home with it. 

“ Cooc-cooroo, cooc-cooroo ,” said the white 
dove, “ she does not understand that goodness 
begets goodness, but that out of badness comes 
nought but evil.” 

The mother was standing at the door, 
impatiently awaiting her daughter’s return. 
She was quite sure that her favourite must 
have received the same gift as her sister. To 
tell the truth, she had always been jealous of 
her younger daughter, and could not bear the 
thought that the latter should possess a gift 
that was not shared by the elder. 

“ Well, child ! ” she called out, as soon as 
Fanny appeared, coming out of the forest; 
“ well, how did it go with you ? ” 

“ Why, how should it have gone ? ” an¬ 
swered Fanny — and at these words three 
65 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
toads and three serpents dropped out of her 
mouth ! 

“ Oh, heavens ! what is this ? ” cried her 
mother, terribly alarmed and as pale as death. 
Then, in a passion of anger, she shouted : “ This 
must be the work of that wretch, her sister; but 
she shall pay for it! ” And picking up a heavy 
stick she rushed forth to give her a beating. 

The poor child fled as fast as she could run, 
and hid in the thickest part of the forest, among 
the dark underwood, where no one could see 
her. 

Trembling and quaking, she crouched there 
for many hours on end. If her mother and 
Fanny should find her, there was no more hope 
for her in this world. And yet, she was in 
no way to blame. How could her mother be 
so cruel and unjust? And the tears streamed 
down her cheeks. 

While she sat thus in hiding, she suddenly 
heard the snorting of a horse close at hand, and 
a moment later, peeping through a small open¬ 
ing in the bushes, she saw a young rider appear 
on a magnificent white steed. He bore a small 
66 


DIAMONDS AND TOADS 
wounded hart in his arms, and appeared to be 
continually whispering fond words to the little 
animal. 

The maid could not but look, her eyes wide 
open with astonishment. Forgetting every¬ 
thing else, she suddenly stood up, facing the 
Prince on his horse. 

The young man was startled when he so 
unexpectedly saw the lovely maiden rise before 
him, with her eyes full of wonder and still wet 
with tears. Suddenly a great feeling of pity and 
sympathy came upon him. 

“ Who are you ? ” he asked, “ and whence 
have you come ? And why are you so sad ? ” 
Then he dismounted, gently laid the wounded 
hart among the cool grass, and taking her 
hand looked at her fondly with his deep-blue 
eyes. 

To the maid it was as if suddenly the sun 
was shining on her with all its genial warmth, 
and she was thrilled with a new and unknown 
feeling of great happiness. 

“ I have been driven from home by my 
mother,” she said, with a blush, “ and have 
6 7 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
taken refuge here.” While she spoke these 
words, seven pearls and seven diamonds fell 
from her mouth. 

The Prince saw this with inexpressible 
surprise, and asked her where the pearls and 
diamonds came from. 

So the maid told him the whole story of her 
life, from the time when her father had died. 
She told him all that her father had said to her 
before departing this life, the sad existence 
which she had led with her mother and sister, 
and the heavy work which she had been forced 
to do; she told him about the white dove that 
always came to comfort her in her moments of 
greatest sadness, about her meeting with the 
fairy at the well, about the gift which had been 
bestowed on her, about Fanny, at whose every 
word a toad or a snake would now fall from her 
mouth, and about her last moments at home, 
when her mother had made ready to beat her 
with a stick. 

The Prince listened open-eyed to her narra¬ 
tive, and loved her all the more, for this Prince, 
being himself good and noble-hearted, under- 
68 


DIAMONDS AND TOADS 
stood at once why the fairy had bestowed such 
a gift on her. 

So the Prince took her in his arms and set 
her on his white horse. Then he lifted the 
wounded hart, which he had found in the forest 
by the side of a brook, and which he was taking 
home in order to tend it, and he placed it in 
front of her on the saddle. Then he took the 
horse’s bridle, and led it, bearing these two, to 
his palace, where one and the other would need 
no better physician than his kind heart. 

“ Cooc-cooroo, cooc-cooroo” said the little 
white dove, “ in the end you are sure to be 
happy.” 

And after the Prince had introduced the 
maiden to his father the King as his bride- 
elect, preparations were made right speedily for 
the wedding. 

Of the mother and her daughter Fanny 
nothing more was ever heard. They died un¬ 
loved and unregretted. 

The Prince and his little wife devoted their 
whole lives to relieving and comforting all 
who were in distress or affliction within their 

69 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
kingdom, and whenever, toward evening, they 
took a walk in the forest to the spot where 
they had first met, they were attended by a 
lame deer, which must surely have been a 
great favourite with them both. 


70 



PUSS IN BOOTS 

NCE upon a time there was an aged 
miller who, when dying, left his pro- 



\._J ' perty to his three sons, all he had being 
his mill, his donkey, and his cat. 

An equal division of these was, of course, 
impossible, and to call in lawyers to try to do 
it would have eaten up the little there was, so 
the brothers wisely agreed that each should take 
a share as it stood, and make the best of it. 
The eldest son, therefore, got the mill, the 
second got the donkey, and only the cat was 
left for the youngest. 

Very naturally he was grieved that his share 
was so small, and it puzzled him much to know 
what to do with it. 

“ My brothers,” said he to himself, “ can 











FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
earn quite a decent living by working together— 
the one can grind the corn, and the other can 
carry it away in sacks when ground, but, as for 
me, even if I were to eat my cat and wear its 
skin, I might die of hunger afterward.” 

This speech made Puss, who was near, feel 
rather creepy, but he acted as if he had not 
overheard it, for he loved his master, who had 
always been kind to him, leaving him little bits 
of fish on the fish-bones he gave him, and letting 
him lie on his knee by the fire in the winter 
evenings. 

With his tail in the air, he came forward and 
rubbed himself against his master’s legs, purring 
his loudest to gain his attention; then, as the 
young man stooped to stroke him, Puss looked 
up in his face and said cheerily : 

“Do not lose heart, sir; just give me a bag 
with draw-strings and a pair of high boots to 
tramp through the briers with, and perhaps you 
will find that a cat may be worth more to you 
than both a mill and a donkey ! ” 

His master did not build his hopes too high 
on hearing this speech, but he had often seen his 
72 


PUSS IN BOOTS 

cat’s agility and cleverness in tricking the rats 
and mice—hanging head downward, as if dead, 
lying quite motionless among the meal, and such¬ 
like—so he did not quite despair of being helped 
a little by Puss in his dire poverty. 

When the cat had got the things he asked for, 
he proudly drew on his boots, slung the bag 
round his neck, put a handful of bran and some 
lettuce leaves in it, took the strings in his fore¬ 
paws, and went straight to one of the King’s 
rabbit-warrens. 

There he lay flat on the ground behind the 
bag, which he held open in front of him, and 
never moved till an unsuspecting young rabbit, 
smelling a good meal, crept into it. In a moment 
the strings were drawn tight—bunny was caught 
and killed. Another was enticed in the same 
way, and met the same fate. 

Greatly pleased with his * bag,’ Puss set off 
for the palace, and asked to be allowed to speak 
to the King. 

He was taken to his Majesty’s apartment, 
where he made a low bow to the King, and 
said : 


73 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Here, sir, is a pair of rabbits from the 
warrens of my lord, the Marquis of Carabas 
[this was the title he gave his master]. He has 
sent me to offer them to you, with his humble 
compliments.” 

“Tell your master from me,” said the King, 
“ that I thank him, and am pleased to accept 
his present.” 

On another occasion Puss went to hide in a 
field of wheat, his bag wide open as usual, and 
two unwary partridges ran into it. These he 
also went to present to the King, who was again 
graciously pleased to receive them, and told his 
purser to give Puss some money for his trouble. 

The cat continued to act in this way for 
several months, every few days carrying game 
to the King, and you may be sure that he kept 
his master well supplied also. 

Hearing from the servants at the palace one 
day that the King and his daughter, the most 
beautiful Princess in the world, were to take 
their drive along the road by the river, he said 
to his master : 

“ If you will take my advice, your fortune is 
74 


PUSS IN BOOTS 

made. You have only to go and bathe in the 
river, at the spot I shall show you, and leave 
the rest to me.” 

The young man did as his cat advised, 
though indeed he couldn’t see what good it 
would do him. 

Just as he was bathing the royal carriage 
passed, and the cat began to shout wildly: 
“ Help ! help !—the lord Marquis of Carabas 
is drowning ! ” 

Hearing the cry, the King put his head out 
of the carriage-window, recognized the cat that 
brought him game so often, and at once 
ordered his guards to go to the assistance of 
his lordship the Marquis of Carabas. 

Puss, in the meantime, had hidden his 
master’s clothes under a heap of stones, and 
while the guards were helping our marquis out of 
the river, his cat, in a state of great excitement, 
ran toward the royal carriage and told the King 
that while his master, the marquis, was bathing, 
thieves had stolen his clothes and run off with 
them, though he had shouted “ Stop thief! 
stop thief! ” at the top of his voice. Wherefore, 
75 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
though his master’s life was saved, he had no 
clothes to put on. 

His Majesty was greatly concerned to hear 
of the plight of the poor marquis, and he ordered 
two of his equerries to ride back post-haste to 
the palace, to fetch from the royal wardrobe 
the finest clothes they could find for his 
lordship. 

A grand suit was soon brought and handed 
to the cat, who hastened with it to his master, 
and having helped him to dress in it, Puss 
conducted him to the royal carriage, to pay his 
grateful respects to the King and to thank his 
Majesty for such timely help. 

The miller’s son, being healthy and well- 
built, was a good-looking young fellow at all 
times, but now, in his magnificent court dress, 
he looked so stately that few, if any, of the young 
nobles could compare with him. 

The King, who had never seen the marquis 
till that day, was much struck with his handsome 
appearance. 

He embraced him again and again, then 
presented him to his daughter, who had been 
76 


PUSS IN BOOTS 

watching the fine-looking young stranger with 
secret admiration. 

His Majesty insisted that our marquis should 
join the royal party in their drive, and gave 
him the seat next to himself in the coach. 

During the drive, while her father was 
talking to the marquis, the Princess could not 
help noticing the frequent glances of respectful 
admiration which his lordship of Carabas be¬ 
stowed upon her, and before the drive was 
ended she had fallen deeply in love with him. 

The cat, overjoyed to see his plans succeed¬ 
ing so well, now went on in front of the party, 
taking short cuts wherever there was a bend 
in the road to keep ahead of the carriage. 

Coming to some peasants who were mowing 
in a meadow by the roadside, he called to them : 

“ Listen, my good folk: the King is coming 
this way, and may ask you whose hay you are 
mowing. If he does, you must say it all belongs 
to his lordship the Marquis of Carabas. If you 
fail to say this, I shall have you all chopped into 
mince-meat.” 

As expected, the King stopped the carriage, 

77 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
when it reached the meadow, that he might ask 
the peasants who was the owner of the hay 
they were cutting. 

“ It all belongs to his lordship the Marquis 
of Carabas,” they shouted with one voice, re¬ 
membering the cat’s dreadful threat. 

“ That is a fine bit of meadow-land,” said 
the King, turning to the marquis. “ Yes, sire,” 
he replied, “ it yields a very heavy crop every 
year.” 

Master Puss, who always kept well ahead, 
next came to a band of reapers. “ My good 
men,” shouted he, “ if you do not tell the King, 
who will pass shortly, that all the corn you are 
reaping belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, I 
shall have you all chopped into mince-meat.” 

The King, who passed shortly after, in¬ 
quired to whom those splendid fields of wheat 
belonged. 

“ They belong to the Marquis of Carabas,” 
they all shouted together, and the King again 
congratulated the marquis. 

The cat, who kept well on in front, gave the 
same directions to everyone whom he met, and 
78 


PUSS IN BOOTS 

as one and all were too terrified to disobey, the 
King was astonished at the great possessions of 
his new friend, the Marquis of Carabas. 

Finally the cat came to a grand castle, and, 
on inquiry, he found that it and all the country 
through which they had driven belonged to an 
ogre, whose wealth was uncountable. 

From the servants Puss found out all he 
could about this Ogre, his riches, his power, 
his ferocity, and the many wonderful things he 
could do. 

Then, saying he did not like to pass the 
castle without paying his respects to such a 
great person, he asked to see him. 

The Ogre received the cat as politely as an 
ogre knows how to do, and asked him to rest a 
little while, and, if he had time, to stay to lunch 
with some friends whom he was expecting in 
a quarter of an hour. 

The cat asked nothing better than the chance 
thus offered for carrying out his own plans. 

“ People tell me very wonderful things about 
your Highness,” said the cat. “ They even say 
that you can change your form when you like, 
79 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
and that you can turn yourself into a lion or an 
elephant at will. Is it so, really ? ” 

“ Certainly ! ” said the Ogre sharply. cc And 
to satisfy you on that point I shall change 
myself into a lion.” Which he did there and 
then. 

No sooner did he see the lion before him 
than Puss jumped out of the window in terror, 
and, fearing pursuit, climbed up the gutter to 
the roof, not without both danger and difficulty, 
the boots being sadly in his way. These, 
though gOvd for tramping over briers, were 
useless for clinging to slanting tiles. 

When the Ogre had resumed his own form, 
Puss clambered down and re-entered by the 
window, frankly confessing that he had been 
dreadfully afraid. 

“ That was a feat! ” said the cat again; 
“ but I hav~ been told you can do a more 
wonderful one still. Is it true that you, who 
are so very big, can turn yourself as easily 
into quite a small animal like a rat or even a 
mouse? To my mind that would be quite 
impossible! ” 


80 


PUSS IN BOOTS 

“ Impossible ! ” cried the Ogre scornfully. 
“ You shall see ! ” A tiny mouse began to play 
on the floor ! In a twinkling it was caught and 
eaten by the cat. 

The royal party, by this time, had reached 
the castle, and the King made up his mind to 
call on the owner. 

Puss heard the sound of the carriage on the 
drawbridge, and quickly went down to meet it. 
As it came through the gates, he made a sweep¬ 
ing bow to the King and said : 

“ Let me welcome your Majesty to the castle 
of his lordship the Marquis of Carabas.” 

“ What! my lord Marquis,” said the King, 
“ this castle also is yours ? Why, nothing 
could possibly be finer than this spacious court¬ 
yard and the noble buildings which surround 
it! Let us see the interior, if you please.” 

The marquis gave his hand to the Princess 
to help her to alight, and they followed the 
King into the castle. 

They entered the stately dining-hall, where 
they found the feast prepared for the Ogre’s 
friends, who arrived at that moment, but who 
81 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
dared not go in when they heard that the King 
was there. 

The servants, to whom the cat had given 
the hint, quickly helped the marquis and his 
royal guests to all the good things on the 
table — savoury dishes, rich cakes, delicious 
ices, and the finest old wines from the Ogre’s 
cellars. 

The King and his daughter were not only 
charmed with the amiability and good looks of 
the marquis, but were also delighted to know 
of his wealth and great estates. 

After having refreshed himself with a few 
glasses of wine, the King turned to his host and 
said : “ My dear Marquis of Carabas, if you 
do not become my son-in-law, you will have 
yourself to blame ! ” 

Our marquis rose and bowed low to the 
King, then turned to the Princess and, lay¬ 
ing his hand on his heart, dropped on one 
knee before her. 

With a pretty blush on her cheeks, the 
Princess got up from her seat, and holding out 
her hand, made him rise, and led him to her 
82 


PUSS IN BOOTS 

father, the King, who gave orders that their 
marriage should take place immediately. 

Master Puss had been peeping and listening 
by the slightly open door of the room, hardly 
able to keep from mewing aloud with delight 
when he saw the turn things were taking; but 
now, when his hopes were crowned, he could 
hold himself no longer, and turned catherine- 
wheels from the top of the grand stair to the 
bottom in his joy. 

The marriage was celebrated with great 
pomp and festivity, and the Marquis of Carabas 
and his bride lived happily to a good old age 
in the magnificent castle which had belonged 
to the Ogre. 

The servants were delighted to have such a 
kind master and gentle mistress, for they had 
only served the Ogre from fear of what he might 
do to them. 

The cat was made a great noble, and had 
part of the castle set apart for his own use. 

Needless to say he never again had to 
catch rats or mice, except for the pleasure of 
having a day’s hunting ! 

83 



BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 


A VERY wealthy merchant was left, at his 
wife’s death, with a family of three sons 
and three daughters. 

As he was a highly intelligent man, he deter¬ 
mined to give his children the best education that 
money could procure for them, and he spared no 
expense to engage the very best masters to teach 
them. 

The three daughters were exceedingly hand¬ 
some both in face and person, but the youngest 
was especially admired for the sweetness of her 
countenance. When she was only a very little 
girl everyone called her the beauty of the family, 
and as she grew up the name was still used, and all 
friends addressed her as “ My Beauty,” to the dis¬ 
gust of her elder sisters, who were jealous of her. 
85 








FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

Beauty was not only prettier than her sisters 
but she had a very much finer character, being 
good-tempered, gentle-mannered, obliging, and 
considerate. 

The sisters, on the contrary, were haughty and 
purse-proud. They liked to imagine themselves 
great ladies, and they despised the daughters of 
the other merchants, refusing to visit them or to 
receive their visits. They spent all their time 
driving in the park or going to balls and theatres, 
and they amused themselves by making game of 
their younger sister because she spent her leisure 
painting, studying her music, or reading the works 
of the best authors. 

As everyone knew of their great wealth, these 
young ladies had many suitors from among the 
families of the other rich merchants, but when 
these gentlemen asked them in marriage, the two 
sisters replied contemptuously that no one less 
than a duke, or at the very least an earl, need 
take the trouble to propose to them. When any 
gentleman proposed marriage to Beauty, she 
thanked him politely for the honour he did her, 
but told him she was too young to marry, and 
86 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
wished to stay at home to cheer her father for 
some years yet. 

Quite suddenly the merchant lost the whole of 
his great fortune, and all he had left was a few 
acres of land with a small cottage on it, quite far 
away in the country. 

Almost broken-hearted, he called his children 
together and told them of the calamity, and that 
they must prepare to leave town and accompany 
him to the cottage, where, by industry and hard 
work, they would be able to live plainly, like the 
peasants, and pay their way honestly. 

The two elder daughters laughed scornfully 
at the idea of living in such a place, and replied 
that they had lovers enough desirous of marrying 
them for their beauty, even if they had not a penny. 
They were woefully disappointed, however, for 
these very lovers refused to look at them now that 
they were poor. As they had always been so dis¬ 
dainful in their treatment of their neighbours, no 
one was sorry for them. 

“ They do not deserve to be pitied. It is a 
good thing to know their pride is humbled,” was 
all one heard, but with regard to the youngest 
87 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
sister it was quite different, and on all sides one 
heard: 

“ Oh! how sorry we are for poor Beauty—she 
was always so gentle and kind, and she was so 
polite when she spoke to us ! ” 

There were even several gentlemen who came, 
now when she had not a farthing, to ask if she 
would marry them; but while she thanked them 
from her heart, she told them that she could not 
leave her father in his misfortune, but would go 
with him to the country, where she would grudge 
no trouble to try to make him comfortable, and to 
help him all she could in his work. 

Poor Beauty had certainly been grieved by the 
loss of their wealth—it could not have been other¬ 
wise; but when she felt inclined to cry over it, 
she said to herself: 

“ Why should I cry ? An ocean of tears would 
not mend matters. I must try and be happy 
without riches, like the people I see round about 

~ 55 

me. 

When they were settled in their country cottage, 
the merchant and his three sons set to work to 
dig and cultivate their land. Beauty rose at four 
88 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
o’clock every morning and busied herself cleaning 
the house and preparing and cooking food for the 
family. 

At first she found it all very difficult, but 
it gradually became easier, and at the end of a 
few months she did not think it a trouble at all. 
Also, she was very much stronger—air and exer¬ 
cise had given her perfect health, so that she 
became more beautiful than ever. When she 
had finished her household tasks she read, 
played on the harpsichord, or sang to herself 
while spinning. 

Her two sisters, on the contrary, were bored 
to death with their surroundings. They did not 
get out of bed till ten o’clock, and spent their time 
wandering aimlessly about, talking to each other 
about their former grandeur, and regretting their 
fine clothes and gay companions. They twitted 
their sister with being mean and poor-spirited 
because she was contented in her poverty. Their 
father did not think as they did. He knew that 
Beauty was better fitted than they were to shine 
in a hi gh position. He greatly admired the charac¬ 
ter of his youngest daughter, and especially her 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
gentle patience with her sisters, who not only left 
all the housework for her to do, but constantly 
insulted her while she was doing it. 

When the family had lived about a year at the 
cottage, the merchant got a letter informing him 
that a ship in which he had valuable cargo had 
just arrived safely in port. The two elder girls 
nearly lost their heads with joy at the news, 
thinking that now they would be able to leave the 
cottage where time had hung so heavy on their 
hands, and when their father was ready to start 
upon the journey which he must make to town, 
they gave him a list of the dresses, mantles, and 
hats that he was to bring them. Beauty asked for 
nothing, thinking to herself that the price of the 
cargo would hardly pay for all the things her 
sisters had asked. 

“Do you not want me to bring you any¬ 
thing ? ” said her father. 

“ Oh! thank you! ” said Beauty. “ I should 
be so glad to have a rose, if you can get one, for 
there are none in our litde garden.” 

It was not really that Beauty wanted a rose so 
much, but she did not want to look superior to 
90 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
her sisters for fear of hurting their feelings, and 
she knew a rose would not cost much. 

The good father set off with hope in his heart, 
but when he arrived in town someone brought 
a lawsuit against him, and though he won his 
case, it took all the money he had received to pay 
the lawyers, so that after all his trouble he had 
to return home as poor as when he went away, 
and very much sadder. But he comforted himself 
with the thought that he would soon be among 
his own family again, and urged his horse on as 
quickly as it could go. 

When he was only thirty miles from home it 
began to snow heavily, so that he could only see 
a few yards before him. The road lay through a 
large forest, with many paths branching in different 
directions. He took a wrong turning and soon 
found himself completely lost. The wind had 
risen to a furious gale, and he was twice blown off 
his horse. Then darkness came down, and the 
thought of spending the night in the forest, with 
the wolves already howling in the distance, filled 
him with dismay. Also he was stiff with cold and 
very hungry. Leading his tired horse he almost 
9i 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
groped his way, but he felt safer on foot, as the 
swaying branches were too high to hurt him. All 
of a sudden he saw a distant light and going in 
its direction soon found himself in a long avenue, 
at the end of which were many lights. Thanking 
God for such a deliverance, he mounted his horse. 
The intelligent animal also saw the lights and 
needed no urging to gallop toward them. They 
came from the windows of a great castle, but 
though it was illuminated as if for a feast, there 
was no sign or sound of life anywhere around it. 

From the court they could see the open door 
of a great stable, toward which the horse turned 
of its own accord, and, finding both com and hay 
there, the tired, hungry animal attacked them 
without hesitation and made a good meal. 

The merchant tied him up for the night and 
turned toward the house, but no one was to be 
seen. He entered the open door and found him¬ 
self in a great dining-hall, with a good fire blazing 
on the hearth, and a fine dinner already on the 
table, but with only one cover laid. As he was 
wet to the skin, he stood up before the fire, saying 
to himself: 


9 2 



BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 

“ Both master and servants will pardon me, 
under the circumstances, and no doubt they will 
soon be here.” 

He waited long, but no one came, and when 
the clock struck eleven o’clock he could resist no 
longer, for he was faint with hunger, so he took 
some chicken from a dish and ate it greedily, but 
trembling with fear of the consequences. As no 
one came, he filled a glass of wine for himself and 
drank it off, then another, and another. His 
courage returned, he went from the dining-hall, 
through one splendid apartment after another, 
all magnificently furnished, and soon found him¬ 
self in a beautiful bedroom, evidently prepared 
for a guest, and as it was past midnight, and he 
was greatly fatigued, he made up his mind to lock 
the door of the room and go to bed. 

He did not wake till ten o’clock next morning, 
and the first thing his eye fell on was a fine new 
suit of clothes laid where his wet, muddy garments 
had been the night before. 

“ Surely,” said he to himself, “ this palace 
must belong to some good fairy, who has taken 
pity on me in my misery.” 

93 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

He rose and looked out of the window. The 
snow was all gone, and under a bright sun lawns 
of velvety grass, avenues of shady trees, and 
arbours of roses, with fountains and flowers, 
enchanted the eye. 

He dressed and went down to the great hall 
where he had supped the previous night, and 
there, on a small table, was a cup of delicious 
chocolate and some crisp toast. 

“ Thank you, my lady fairy,” said he, “ for 
having had the goodness to think of my breakfast.” 

When he had taken his chocolate, the good 
man went out to the stable for his horse, and, as 
he passed under a bower of roses, Beauty’s request 
came to his mind, so he broke off a branch which 
had several roses on it. As he did so, a sudden 
fearful sound arose, and, looking round, he saw 
coming toward him a beast so horrible in appear¬ 
ance that he almost fainted. 

“ Monster of ingratitude ! ” said the Beast in 
a terrible voice. “ I saved your life by receiving 
you into my castle, and, for my thanks, you rob 
me of my roses, which I love above all else in the 
world! Your life is the price you must pay for 
94 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
such a deed. I give you one quarter of an hour 
to prepare for your death ! ” 

The merchant, clasping his hands, threw him¬ 
self on his knees before the monster and cried: 

“ Pardon me, my lord, I did not dream of 
offending you. I was only gathering a rose for 
one of my daughters who had asked me to take 
her one.” 

“Iam not called ‘ my lord,’ but ‘ the Beast,’ ” 
replied the odious creature. “ I hate compli¬ 
ments, and only wish people to say what they 
really think, so you need not try to make me 
change my mind by your flatteries. 

“ You say, however, that you have daughters, 
so if one of them will come, of her own free will, 
to die in your stead, I am willing to pardon you— 
no arguing!—I have told you my will—off with 
you ! And if none of your daughters will die for 
you, give me your oath that you will return your¬ 
self three months from this day.” 

The good man had no intention of letting any 
one of his daughters sacrifice herself for him, 
but he saw the opportunity of seeing his family 
once more, and of bidding them farewell, so he 
95 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
promised, and the Beast told him he was free to 
go at any hour that suited him, adding: 

“ I do not wish you, however, to leave my 
house empty-handed. Go back to the room you 
slept in. There you will see a large empty chest. 
You may fill it with whatever you see around you, 
and I shall see that it is taken to your cottage.” 
Then the Beast disappeared. 

The merchant consoled himself a little by 
thinking that, if he had to die, he would now be 
able to provide his children with something to 
help them to live, so he returned to the bedroom. 
Looking around him, he discovered quite a heap 
of gold coins lying on the floor. With these he 
quickly filled the chest and locked it; then, taking 
his horse from the stable, he remounted, and left 
the palace with a very heavy heart. 

The horse, of its own accord, took the shortest 
way to the cottage, where they arrived in a few 
hours. 

On his arrival the family crowded round him, 
kissing him and welcoming him home, but instead 
of returning their caresses he burst into tears. 

He held the rose branch in his hand, and when 
96 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
he could speak he turned to his daughter, and 
gave it to her, saying : 

“ My Beauty, take the roses—they are going 
to cost your unfortunate father very dear ! ” 

Then he told his family the dire strait in which 
he found himself. 

On hearing his story, the two elder daughters 
uttered piercing shrieks, and heaped insults and 
bad names on poor Beauty, who did not shed a 
tear. 

“ Only think what the pride of that small 
creature has brought about! ” said they. “ Why 
could she not ask for useful garments, like us? 
But no! the young lady wished to distinguish 
herself. Look, she does not even cry for causing 
the death of her father ! ” 

“ That would be a very useless thing to do,” 
said Beauty. “ Why should I weep for my father’s 
death ? He shall not die ! Since the monster is 
willing to accept one of his daughters in his place, 
I shall give myself up to it, and shall be proud if 
by the sacrifice of my life I can save that of my 
dear father.” 

“ No ! my dear sister,” cried the three brothers, 
97 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
with one voice. “We shall go and find this monster, 
and we shall kill him or perish ourselves.” 

“ Do not indulge in such hopes,” said the 
merchant. cc The power of this Beast is so great 
that I have no hope of anyone being able to kill 
him. I am charmed with the kind heart of my 
Beauty, but I cannot let her risk her life. I am 
old, and, at best, could only live a few years 
longer. I have nothing to regret but leaving 
you alone, my dear children.” 

“I assure you, dearest Father,” said Beauty, 
“ that you shall not go to the Beast’s palace with¬ 
out me. You could not possibly hinder me from 
following you. Although I am young, life has 
no great attractions for me, and I prefer being 
devoured by the monster to dying of grief for the 
loss of my father.” 

It was useless to try to dissuade her. Beauty 
was quite determined to go with her father when 
the time should come for him to return to the 
palace, and the jealous sisters could hardly hide 
their pleasure at her decision. 

The merchant was so grieved at the thought 
of perhaps losing his favourite daughter that 
98 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
he quite forgot to speak of the chest of gold 
coins which the Beast had promised to send, 
but on going to bed he found it there at his 
bedside. 

He made up his mind not to tell his two elder 
daughters about it, as he felt sure they would want 
to go back to their extravagant life in town, and 
he had determined to spend what of his life might 
still be before him in the country. He, however, 
confided the secret to Beauty, who at once 
remembered to tell him that during his absence 
two gentlemen who had made their acquaintance 
had fallen in love with her sisters, and, in the 
goodness of her heart, she advised her father to 
use a great part of the money in getting them 
married and comfortably provided for. The sweet- 
tempered girl cherished no resentment against 
them for their daily unkindness to her. She 
wanted to see them happy. 

When the sisters saw Beauty ready to start with 
her father, at the date fixed, they rubbed their 
eyelids with an onion to make them look as if 
they were weeping; but the brothers, as well as 
their father, wept in earnest, not knowing what 
99 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
might happen. Beauty alone did not cry, for she 
did not wish to add to their grief. 

They set off on horseback, Beauty riding on a 
pillion behind her father. The horse took the 
road to the palace without being guided, and they 
arrived in the evening, finding the whole place 
brilliantly lighted as before. They alighted at the 
entrance. The horse went to the stable, while the 
father and daughter entered the dining-hall, where 
they found a magnificently spread table, with 
covers for two. The merchant was too sad to 
care to eat, but Beauty made a great effort not to 
seem afraid, and sitting down, began to help him 
to the different dishes which he preferred. While 
they were eating, Beauty remarked to herself: 

“ The Beast must wish to fatten me before 
eating me, as he has provided such a feast.” 

Just when they had finished their supper they 
heard a strange noise, and the merchant, feeling 
sure it was the Beast, bade his daughter adieu, 
weeping bitterly. 

Beauty could not help shuddering when she 
saw the horrible face of the frightful creature, but 
she made a brave effort to overcome her fear, and 
ioo 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
when the monster asked her if it was really of her 
own free will that she had come, although she 
was trembling from head to foot she answered, 
“ Yes.” 

“ You are a good girl, and I am much obliged 
to you,” said the Beast; then he turned to the 
father and said: 

“ Good man, leave this palace to-morrow 
morning, and do not take it into your head to 
return. 

“ Good night, my Beauty.” 

“ Good night, Beast,” the maiden replied, and 
the Beast withdrew. 

“ Oh, my child,” said the merchant, embracing 
his daughter, “ I am half dead already with horror. 
Hear me ! Let me stay.” 

“ No, dear Father,” said she firmly; “ you will 
go home to-morrow, and you will leave me to 
the care of kind Providence, who will perhaps 
take pity on me.” 

They parted to go to their bedrooms; neither 
of them expected to sleep that night, but their 
heads were no sooner on their pillows than they 
fell into a deep slumber. 

IOI 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

During her sleep, Beauty dreamt she saw a 
lady, who said to her: 

“ Beauty, I am charmed with your tenderness 
of heart. Your kind action in giving your life to 
save your father’s will not go unrewarded.” 

In the morning Beauty told the dream to her 
father, and it comforted him a little, but it did 
not keep him from crying aloud in his distress 
when the moment came for parting with his 
beloved daughter. 

When he was out of sight, Beauty could not 
help throwing herself on a couch and sobbing 
as if her heart would break. This relieved her 
feelings, and, being of a brave nature, she sat up, 
commended herself to the care of God, and though 
she quite expected to be eaten by the Beast that 
evening, she resolved not to waste the few last 
hours of her life by meeting her trouble half¬ 
way. 

She therefore took a walk through the lovely 
grounds, and then began to explore the interior 
of the castle. She could not help a dmiring the 
magnificent decorations and priceless tapestries, 
as well as the costly furniture. 

102 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 

She came to a door on which was written: 
Beauty’s Boudoir 

Extremely surprised, she quickly opened the 
door, and was dazzled by the brilliance of her 
surroundings — every comfort and luxury she 
could desire was there. 

One of the first things that caught her eye 
was an exquisite bookcase, filled with handsome 
editions of her favourite books, and near it was a 
harpsichord with an abundance of music. 

“ The Beast does not want me to weary,” said 
she in a low voice; then she thought to herself, 
“ If I had only one day to live, he would surely 
not have provided so much for my entertainment.” 
This thought gave her courage. She opened the 
bookcase, and took out a volume with a very long 
title in gold letters; it was this : 

Desire. Command. 

You are Lady and Mistress here. 

“ Alas ! ” thought she, with a sigh, “ I desire 
nothing but to see my poor father, and to know 
what he is doing just now.” 

She laid down the book without speaking a 
103 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
word. Judge then of her surprise when, in a 
great mirror on the opposite wall, she saw the 
cottage where her father was just arriving, broken 
down with grief. Her sisters came out to meet 
him, pretending to be sorry, but, in spite of their 
false grimaces, joy was visible in their eyes to see 
him returning without her. Then it all dis¬ 
appeared, and, standing there, she could not help 
thinking how considerate and kind the Beast 
seemed to have been in trying to make her happy, 
and in her heart she felt she need not be so much 
afraid of him. 

At noon an excellent dinner was on the table, 
and while she was eating she listened to a fine band 
playing lovely music, but no one was visible. 

In the evening, as she sat down to supper, she 
heard the peculiar noise made by the Beast, and 
she could not help trembling violently when he 
appeared. 

“ Beauty,” said the monster, “ are you w illing 
to let me look at you while you sup ? ” 

“You are master here,” said Beauty, in a 
tremulous voice. 

“No!” replied the Beast, “you alone are 
104 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
mistress here. You have only to bid me go away 
if my presence annoys you and I shall go at once. 
Tell me frankly—do you not think me extremely 
ugly ? ” 

“ I do indeed,” said Beauty, “ for I cannot tell 
an untruth, but I think you are very kind.” 

“ You are right,” said the monster, “ but 
besides being ugly, I am very stupid. I know 
quite well that I am only a fool.” 

“ No one is really stupid who thinks he is not 
clever. No fool ever considers himself one.” 

“ Enjoy your supper, then, Beauty,” said the 
monster, “ and try not to feel weary in your own 
house, for all you see is yours, and it would grieve 
me much to see you unhappy.” 

“ You are very kind,” said Beauty, “ and your 
goodness of heart gives me great pleasure. In¬ 
deed, when I think how good you are, I do not 
seem to see you so ugly.” 

“ Oh! for that part,” said the Beast, “ my heart 
is tender enough, but it does not hinder me from 
being a monster.” 

“ There are many men far worse monsters 
than you are,” said Beauty, “ and I prefer you 
105 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
with the face you have to many men I have met, 
who, behind a handsome face, hide a false, bad 
heart.” 

“ If I had wit enough I should pay you a great 
compliment to thank you for the pleasure your 
words give me,” said the Beast, “but, being so 
stupid, all I can say is that I am greatly obliged 
to you.” 

Beauty took a hearty supper, and quite forgot 
her fear of the Beast, but she was again in 
an agony of terror when he suddenly said 
to her: 

“ Beauty, will you be my wife ? ” 

It was some time before she could find words 
to reply, but at last she answered simply: 

“ No, Beast.” 

At this the poor monster heaved a dreadful 
sigh, which seemed more like a shriek, and the 
whole palace shook with the sound. Beauty 
thought her last hour had come. The Beast, 
however, only said gently: “ Good night, then, 
Beauty,” and went slowly to the door, fu ming 
his head from time to time to look wistfully at 
her as he went. 


106 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
Left alone, Beauty felt a great wave of pity 
rising within her. 

“ What a pity it is that he is so ugly! ” said 
she. “ He is so very good and kind ! ” 

Three months passed thus in the palace, with¬ 
out any special event. Every evening Beauty 
received a visit from the Beast, who did his best 
to entertain her during supper with his simple 
talk, which never lacked good sense, but which 
was far from being what is called, in society, 
brilliant conversation. Every day Beauty noticed 
some new token of the goodness which lay below 
the repulsive outward appearance of the monster. 
She was becoming accustomed to his ugliness, 
and instead of dreading his visits she often found 
herself looking at her watch as nine o’clock drew 
near, for that was the hour when he made his 
appearance. There was only one thing which 
really distressed her. It was that the monster, 
before leaving her, never failed to ask her if she 
would become his wife, and never seemed less 
pained at her refusal. 

One evening. Beauty said to him : 

“ Beast, you grieve me greatly. I only wish 
107 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
I could bring myself to marry you, but I am too 
sincere to pretend to you that I can ever do so. 
I shall always be your friend—will you not try to 
be contented with that ? ” 

“ I suppose I must,” said the Beast. “ I can 
judge jusdy, and I know how horribly ugly I am, 
only I love you greatly. I ought to be very thank¬ 
ful that you are willing to remain here to keep me 
company. Promise me, I entreat you, that you 
will never leave me.” 

Beauty blushed deeply at these words. That 
afternoon she had seen in her mirror that her 
father was very ill from his grief at losing her, and 
she wished gready to visit him, and reassure him. 

“ I could readily promise,” said she, “ never 
to leave you altogether, but I wish so much to see 
my father again that I shall die of grief if I may 
not do so.” 

“ I would rather die myself than grieve you,” 
said the monster. cc I shall send you home to your 
father, you will stay there, and your poor Beast 
will die of grief.” 

“ Oh, no ! ” said Beauty, weeping. “ I love 
you too much to wish to cause your death. I 
108 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
promise you to return in eight days. You have 
enabled me to see that my sisters are both married, 
and that my brothers have joined the army. My 
father is quite alone. Let me stay with him for 
a week, I beg of you.” 

“ You shall be there to-morrow morning,” 
said the Beast, “ but do remember your promise. 
When you are ready to return, you have only to 
lay your ring on the table when you go to bed. 
Good-bye, Beauty.” 

The Beast sighed, in his usual fearful way, 
when he said these words, and Beauty went to 
bed, much grieved at having hurt him. She 
awoke next morning in her father’s house. She 
rang a bell which was on the table by the side of 
her bed, and it was answered by the servant-maid, 
who gave a great cry of astonishment when she 
saw her. The father went quickly upstairs to 
know what had happened, and was beside himself 
with joy when he saw his dear daughter. He 
clasped her in his arms and they embraced each 
other long and tenderly. 

When she got up to dress, Beauty remembered 
that she had no clothes to put on, but the maid 
109 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
told her that she had just found a chest in the next 
room, and on opening it she saw it was filled with 
magnificent robes of cosdy materials, trimmed 
with gold lace and embroidered with jewels, and 
Beauty felt most grateful to the kind Beast for his 
attentions. She chose the plainest of these beauti¬ 
ful dresses; then she asked the maid to lock the 
chest, as she wished to give the others to her 
sisters, but she had hardly said the words when 
the chest disappeared. Her father said it looked 
as if the Beast only intended the dresses for herself, 
and at these words the chest was again in its place. 

While Beauty was dressing, word of her arrival 
was sent to her sisters, who appeared soon after 
with their husbands. Both of them were miser¬ 
ably unhappy. One had married a man who was 
exceedingly handsome, but who was so vain that 
he thought of nothing but his own good looks, 
and took no notice whatever of his wife. The 
other had married a man who was extraordinarily 
clever, but the only use he made of his brains 
was to utter sarcastic remarks to everyone, and 
particularly to his wife. 

These sisters were very envious when they saw 
no 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
Beauty looking prettier than ever and dressed like 
a princess. In vain she kissed and fondled them; 
they could not hide their jealousy, which increased 
as they saw how happy she was. They both went 
into the garden to vent their spite, and to complain 
to each other. 

“ Why,” said they, “ is that creature so much 
happier than we? Are we not as deserving of 
happiness as she is ? ” 

“ Sister,” said the eldest, “ I have an idea; 
let us persuade her to overstay her time. Her 
stupid Beast will be enraged with her for not 
keeping her word, and probably he will devour 
her.” 

“ What a clever plan ! ” said the other. “ We 
must pretend to be very fond of her and make 
a great fuss about her.” 

With this wicked thought in their minds they 
went back into the cottage, and were so very loving 
in their speech and manner that poor Beauty 
almost wept for joy. At the end of the eight days, 
they made such a show of grief, tearing their hair 
and wringing their hands, that Beauty consented 
to stay another week, not without being very 
hi 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
sorry for the disappointment she was causing her 
poor Beast, whom she had grown so fond of, and 
whom she was longing to see again. On the 
tenth night of her visit, she dreamt she was in the 
palace garden, where she saw the Beast lying prone 
upon the grass, dying, and reproaching her for her 
ingratitude. She awoke with a start; then she 
began to weep. 

“How wicked I am!” she said to herself. 
“ How could I grieve the poor Beast who has been 
so good to me ? Is it his fault that he is ugly and 
not clever ? He is good, and that is worth more 
than cleverness or good looks. Why could I not 
marry him? I should have been much happier 
with him than my sisters are with their husbands. 
It is neither the good looks nor the cleverness of 
her husband that can make a woman happy; it is 
kindness of heart, uprightness, and readiness to 
oblige, and my poor Beast has all these good 
qualities. I may not be in love with him, but my 
heart is full of respect, friendship, and gratitude 
whenever I think of him. Come! I must not 
make him unhappy. I should reproach myself 
all my life if I did.” 


112 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 

Beauty got up, put her ring on the table, and 
went back to bed. She quickly fell asleep, and 
when she awoke next morning she was pleased to 
find herself back in the palace of the Beast. She 
dressed herself magnificently to give him pleasure, 
and found the day pass all too slowly, waiting for 
nine o’clock. At last the hour struck, but the 
Beast did not make his appearance. 

Beauty was greatly alarmed, fearing lest she 
had caused his death. She ran from room to 
room, calling him loudly, but she got no answer. 
She was almost in despair when she suddenly 
remembered her dream. Quick as thought, she 
turned and ran toward the garden. There, on 
the very spot she had seen in her sleep, lay her 
poor Beast, prone on the grass near the brook, 
quite unconscious and apparently dead. In an 
agony of grief she threw herself down over his 
body, without any sense of horror; then, finding 
that his heart was still beating, she brought water 
from the stream and bathed his temples. This 
revived him a little, and at length he opened his 
eyes. 

After a little, the Beast found strength to speak. 

113 H 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
“ You forgot your promise,” said he, gazing at 
Beauty. “ My grief at losing you was so great that 
I determined to starve myself to death, but I shall 
die happy now that I have had the great pleasure 
of seeing you again.” 

“ No, my dear Beast, you shall not die,” cried 
Beauty. “ You must live to become my husband. 
From this moment I am yours. I imagined I had 
no stronger feeling for you than friendship, but 
now I know that I cannot live without you.” 

Just as Beauty finished this speech, the whole 
palace was brilliantly illuminated, while fireworks 
and music showed that some great event was being 
celebrated. Beauty looked up for a moment, but 
immediately turned again toward her dear Beast, 
for whose life she trembled. But where was he ? 
What did it all mean ? At her feet knelt a young 
Prince, handsome as Adonis, who was gratefully 
thanking her for having broken the spell of his 
enchantment. Although this Prince well deserved 
her attention, she quickly asked him: 

“ Where is my Beast ? ” 

“ You see him at your feet,” was the reply. 
“ A wicked fairy had condemned me to remain in 
114 


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 
that dreadful form till a beautiful young lady 
should, of her own free will, consent to marry me, 
and I was strictly forbidden to show my intelli¬ 
gence. You alone of all those I have met were 
touched by my kindness of disposition in spite of 
my forbidding appearance, and in offering you my 
crown and my heart I do not pretend to be able 
to repay all I owe to you.” 

Beauty held out her hand to the Prince, in a 
dream of delighted surprise. He rose and clasped 
her hand in his, and they walked together to the 
palace. On entering the great hall. Beauty was 
overjoyed to see her dear father and all the family 
there. The beautiful lady whom she had seen in 
her dream had transported them there from the 
cottage. 

This lady, who was a great fairy, now came 
forward. 

“ Beauty,” said she, “ come and receive the 
reward of your wise choice. You preferred high 
character to mere beauty, or even cleverness; you 
deserve to find all these united in one person. You 
are going to be a great queen. I hope that the 
throne will not alter your character.” 

ii5 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“As for you, ladies,” said the fairy to the 
sisters, “ I know the malice which fills your hearts. 
You shall become statues, but you shall retain your 
reason inside the stone which imprisons you. You 
shall be placed one on each side of the door of 
your sister’s palace, where your only punishment 
will be seeing your sister’s happiness. When you 
recognize your faults and repent of them, you will 
be restored to your human forms, but I fear you 
are likely to remain statues. One may correct 
oneself of pride, bad temper, greed, or sloth, but 
to change an evil, envious heart is little short of 
a miracle.” 

Then, with one touch of her wand, she trans¬ 
ported the whole company to the kingdom of the 
Prince, whose subjects received him with joy. 
Beauty and he were married with great pomp, the 
festivities lasting many days. The union was a 
very happy one, and at the end of a long life their 
love for each other was still undiminished. 


116 



LITTLE THUMBLING 


O NCE, by the side of a great forest, there 
lived a poor woodman, who had a family 
of seven boys, all quite young, the eldest 
being only ten years old when the youngest was 
seven. 

It seems strange to hear of such a large family 
with only three years between the eldest and the 
youngest, but the woodman’s wife was an active 
clever woman, who never gave her husband fewer 
than two sons at a time, and on one occasion she 
presented him with three. 

The parents were very proud of their large 
family, and they worked very hard to provide them 
all with food and clothing. 

Six of the boys were fine strong lads, but the 
seventh was so small when he was born that he 
117 









FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
was not much bigger than his father’s thumb, and 
he was at once called Thumbling. 

Unfortunately, Thumbling did not grow as the 
others did, but remained small and delicate. He 
was very timid and sensitive, and, as he seldom 
spoke a word, even his parents mistook his silence 
for stupidity. 

The strong, healthy brothers found him always 
in the way, and the poor little fellow was blamed 
for everything that went wrong in the house. No 
one thought he would ever be able to earn his own 
living, or indeed be of any use in the world, yet 
he was really sharper and more observant than 
any of his brothers, and, if he talked little, he 
thought much, listened attentively to all he heard 
and knew more than most. 

As the boys grew bigger, it took more to feed 
and clothe them, but the parents toiled cheerfully 
on, hoping that in a few years their sons would 
be able to help them, and that life would become 
easier for them all. Also, the elder boys could 
already help to weed and hoe the little garden 
which provided them with vegetables all summer 
as well as sufficient potatoes to store for the winter. 

118 


LITTLE THUMBLING 

So long as seasons were good and harvests 
plentiful, all went well. 

There came a spring, however, when frosts 
nipped all fruit in the bud. Then followed months 
of hot sun without one drop of rain to moisten the 
parched ground. The wheat was burnt in the 
blade, so that there was no com to grind for flour 
to make bread. There was a great famine in the 
land, and the woodman’s family were faced with 
starvation. 

One evening, after the children had gone to 
bed, the poor father and mother sat by the dying 
embers of their fire, trying to think of some way 
out of their trouble. They were almost at the 
end of their little store, and had no money to buy 
more. They were quite at their wits’ end. 

After a long silence, the husband, in a broken 
voice, said to his wife: 

“You see as well as myself that we can no 
longer feed our family. There is only slow death 
by starvation for them, and I, for one, cannot bear 
to see their sufferings. I see no way but to take 
them into the depth of the forest and leave them 
there. It will be easily done, as they could never 
119 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
find their way out alone. We have only to go 
quietly out of sight while they amuse themselves 
gathering little bundles of sticks. Fear and fatigue 
will help to shorten their misery.” 

“ What! ” cried his wife, “ has it actually come 
to this, that you would leave your own children 
to be lost in the forest, and to die there ? No! 
I cannot consent to that. We are starving, but I 
am their mother—let us all die together ! ” 

The father tried to show her that his way, being 
the quickest, was the best, and asked her to think 
of the agony it would be to see them dying one 
by one before her eyes, for, sooner or later, die 
they must. 

At last, broken-hearted, she consented, and lay 
down on her bed weeping bitterly. 

Litde Thumbling had been awake when his 
parents began to talk. He had noticed during the 
last few weeks that both his father and his mother 
had looked sadder every day, and he began to 
understand what was meant when the famine was 
spoken of, so he slipped softly out of bed, and 
went under the stool his father sat on, where he 
could hear every word that was said. 

120 



LITTLE THUMBLING OVERHEARS HIS FATHER’S PLAN 


































































LITTLE THUMBLING 

When he heard his mother give her consent to 
his father’s plan, he went quietly back to bed, 
where he lay awake all night, planning what 
to do. 

Early in the morning he got up and went to a 
little stream which had a pebbly edge. There he 
gathered all the small white stones he could find, 
and filled his pockets with them; then he returned 
to the cottage, and started with the others to go 
to the forest, but he took care to be a little behind 
the others. Every few yards he dropped one of 
the white pebbles, so that the road they went 
could be traced by them, just as it is in a paper- 
chase. 

The forest was so thick that no one could see 
his neighbour ten yards away. 

The woodman began cutting wood, and the 
children busied themselves gathering branches of 
brushwood and tying them in little bundles for 
firewood. 

While the children were so occupied, the parents 
went gradually farther from them till they came 
to a little by-path leading in another direction, 
when they quickly ran along it till they got out of 
121 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
the forest, and returned to their cottage with heavy 
hearts. 

As soon as the brothers realized that they had 
been forsaken, and were lost in the wood, they 
were terrified, and ran shouting and crying in every 
direction; then, getting no answer, they threw 
themselves, sobbing, on the ground. 

Thumbling let them cry for some time, and 
he was of so littie consequence in the eyes of his 
bigger brothers that they did not even notice how 
calm he was. Indeed, if they had, they would 
only have thought it was because he did not know 
their danger. Imagine their surprise when he 
suddenly addressed them. 

“ You need not be so frightened ! Our father 
and our mother have certainly left us, but I know 
the way home. Follow me.” 

They followed him without a word, and guiding 
himself by the pebbles, he took them out of the 
forest by the way they had entered, leading them 
to the door of the cottage, where they were over¬ 
come by sudden fear of their parents, and dared 
not go in. But each one listened to try to hear 
what the father and mother might be saying. 

122 

















































Fr. 


NEARLY BEDTIME! 





















































LITTLE THUMBLING 

Just as the woodman and his wife arrived at 
their cottage, after leaving their children in the 
forest, a messenger came from the squire to pay 
a bill which he had forgotten for such a long 
time that the poor couple never expected to get a 
penny of it. 

The money was quite a large sum for them, 
and the sight of it seemed to give them new life. 
The woodman sent his wife off at once to the 
butcher’s to get some meat for their supper, and 
as they were both very hungry she bought far 
more than was needed for two people. In her 
excitement she had quite forgotten that there 
were now no children to feed. 

She cooked the whole of the meat, and when 
they had eaten till they were satisfied, and the 
woman saw how much was left, she cried out: 

“ Oh! where are my children ? How they 
would enjoy all that we have left! They would 
make short work of it! It is all your fault! I 
told you we should repent of our work! What may 
be happening at this moment in that dark forest ? 
God grant the cruel wolves may not have already 
devoured them ! Oh ! where are my children ? ” 
123 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

In her grief she exclaimed so loudly that the 
boys, listening at the door, heard the words dis¬ 
tinctly, and shouted all together : 

“ Here we are, Mother ! Here we are ! ” 

Like lightning the mother flew to the door, 
and next moment her children were all clinging 
round her, while she hugged and kissed them one 
after the other, many times over. 

“ How glad I am to have you all again, my 
darlings ! How tired you all look, and how hungry 
you must be! I see you have been falling—let me 
wipe the mud off your hands and faces, then you 
can eat your supper—look what a feast is waiting 
for you! ” 

The boys needed no second invitation. They 
were, indeed, very hungry, and the food dis¬ 
appeared rapidly. The father and mother stood 
by, delighted to see their enjoyment, and listening, 
with tears in their eyes, while the seven, all speak¬ 
ing at once, related every litde thing that had 
happened in the forest, and told what a dreadful 
fright they had got when they found themselves 
left alone. 

These good souls were really glad to have their 
124 


LITTLE THUMBLING 
children with them again, and, so long as the 
money lasted, they were very happy, but when it 
was all spent the grief returned. An empty purse 
and a bare cupboard again brought despair, and 
again there was no other way for them but the one 
already tried, only this time they must not fail. 
They planned to take the children much farther 
away, to the very thickest part of the forest, and 
took great care not to speak about it when they 
were near. Thumbling, however, was on the 
alert, and he could hide himself so easily that 
again he heard all, but it did not trouble him; 
his plan had been so successful before that he 
had no fear of not finding his way with equal ease 
this time. 

He got up early, as before, to go to the river 
for pebbles, but, do what he could, he could not 
open the door—it was double-locked! He could 
see no way out of this difficulty till, just before 
starting, the mother gave each of the boys a piece 
of bread to eat for breakfast on the way. When 
no one was looking, he put his bread in his pocket, 
telling himself that little bits of bread would serve 
his purpose just as well as pebbles. 

125 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
The parents, followed by their family, went out 
to their daily task of wood-cutting, as usual, but 
with very heavy hearts. They went much farther 
than they had ever gone before, till they came to 
what appeared to be a nice wide path. This they 
took for some distance, knowing well that it led 
to the thickest and darkest parts of the forest. 
Walking was easy in it, and the boys began playing 
and teasing each other, so it was not difficult for 
both father and mother to step aside and hide till 
their children went past, when they both fled as 
quickly as they could till they were far beyond the 
sound of the young voices. 

Thumbling was the first to notice that they 
were left alone, but it did not worry him greatly, 
as he expected to retrace his steps easily by follow¬ 
ing the track of the bread-crumbs which he had 
taken care to scatter at intervals all the way; but 
when he turned to look for them, not a crumb was 
to be seen. The birds had picked them up almost 
as soon as he had thrown them down. 

Here was a terrible plight to be in ! 

The six brothers shouted for help till they were 
hoarse, but no one came. They ran on, hoping 
126 


LITTLE THUMBLING 

to get out of the wood, but the path grew narrower, 
and soon ended in an impenetrable tangle. Tired 
and hungry they sat down and wept—all but 
Thumbling, who kept trying to think what was 
the best thing to do, and did not see that tears 
could help him. 

To make matters worse, a fearful storm came 
on, and it began to get near night. Rain came 
down in torrents, soaking their clothes to the skin. 
The wind roared through the great trees like an 
army of demons, and in every new gust they 
thought they heard the howling of wolves coming 
to devour them. 

In the meantime little Thumbling had managed 
to climb to the top of a high tree, and in the gather¬ 
ing darkness he could see a light in a distant 
window. This gave the little fellow courage. 
Though his trousers were tom and his knuckles 
skinned by the furious lashing of the branches, he 
managed to get down to the ground, where he 
roused his brothers to make another effort to get 
out of the forest, telling them that there was a 
house near, and perhaps they could reach it, as he 
had seen the light of a window from the top of a 
127 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
tree, though from the ground he could not show 
it to them. 

They started again, keeping very close together, 
and going in the direction where Thumbling saw 
the light. 

Many a time they fell, for the wet ground was 
slippery; also they could not see to avoid holes, 
and if one stumbled several fell over him; but 
terror made them go on. Once or twice, where 
the ground rose a little, they caught a glimpse of 
the light, but it seemed very far away, and in the 
hollows it was again blotted out. 

They reached the edge of the forest at last, 
and, to their joy, the light was before them, but it 
was still a long way off. It seemed to be only a 
candle, but it was enough to guide them, even 
though they lost it whenever they got into a 
hollow, and at length they came to the house, 
which was quite a big one. 

They knocked at the door. A kind-looking 
woman opened it and asked what they wanted. 
The brothers pushed little Thumbling forward 
to speak for them. 

“ We are children who got lost in the forest,” 
128 


LITTLE THUMBLING 
said he, “ and we have no place to shelter us 
from the storm. I beg you to let us sleep here 
for charity.” 

“ Alas ! my poor children,” cried she, bursting 
into tears, “ whatever brought you here ? This is 
the house of an ogre who devours all the children 
he can find ! ” 

“ Oh, dear ! oh, dear! ” criedThumbling, who, 
like his brothers, was trembling with fear, “ what 
shall we do? If we go back to the forest the 
wolves will tear us to pieces. I would rather be 
eaten by the gentleman, and perhaps, if you speak 
for us, he will take pity on us.” 

The woman had a tender heart, though her 
husband was an ogre. She took the children in, 
and let them warm themselves by the great kitchen 
fire, before which a whole sheep was being roasted 
for her husband’s supper. She hoped to be able 
to hide them from him till morning, when she 
might be able to get them away before he awoke. 

Just when they were getting comfortably warm, 
they heard three or four loud knocks on the door. 
It was the ogre, who had come back a little sooner 
than his wife expected. She hurriedly pushed all 
129 1 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
the children below the bed, begging them to keep 
quite quiet, and neither to speak nor to move. 
Then she went to open the door for her husband, 
who immediately asked if his supper was ready, 
and if the wine had been brought from the cellar. 
Then he sat down to eat the sheep, which was not 
half cooked, for he liked it best when the blood 
was still quite red. 

After a little while he began to sniff right and 
left, saying he smelt fresh meat. 

“ It must be that newly killed calf which I 
have just been dressing,” said his wife. 

“ I smell living flesh, I tell you,” said he, 
looking suspiciously at her. “ There is some 
underhand work going on, I see ! ” 

With these words he rose from the table and 
went straight to the bed. 

“ So this is how you deceive me, vile wretch ! ” 
cried he. “ It is well for you that you are so old 
and tough or I would make my next meal of 
yourself! ” 

Then the ogre pulled one boy after another 
from below the bed, till the seven crouched 
trembling before him. 

130 


LITTLE THUMBLING 

“ This is a fine bag of game ! ” he cried with 
glee. “ It has come just in time to be a treat for 
my three ogre friends who are to visit me the day 
after to-morrow.” 

The terrified children threw themselves on 
their knees before him, entreating him not to kill 
them, and begging his pardon for having taken 
shelter in his house. 

This, however, was one of the most cruel ogres 
in the land, and his horrid eyes gloated over them 
as if he were eating them already, while he remarked 
to his wife what delicious morsels they would be 
if she cooked them properly, and served them 
with the right sauce. He went for a great carving- 
knife, and came toward the children, sharpening 
it on a whetstone which he held in his left 
hand. 

The poor innocents thought their last hour had 
come. He had already caught hold of the one 
nearest to him, when his wife exclaimed : 

“ Whatever are you going to do at this hour 
of the night? Will you not have time enough 
to-morrow for such easy work ? ” 

“ Hold your tongue! ” cried the ogre. “ They 

131 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
will be all the more tender for being killed to¬ 
night.” 

“ But you forget,” said she, “ that you have 
too much meat already, and it will spoil! There 
are two sheep and a calf already killed, besides 
the half of a pig.” 

“ I believe you are right,” said the ogre. “ Give 
them a good supper to keep them in perfect con¬ 
dition, and pack them off to bed.” 

The good woman was much relieved. She 
brought them an excellent supper, but the poor 
children were far too terrified to eat. 

As for the ogre, he was so pleased to think of 
the feast he was going to have, and so thirsty from 
the one he had just finished, that he sat down 
again to drink. He took glass after glass, till his 
head became so heavy and stupid that he could 
only tumble into bed, where he lay like a log. 

The ogre had seven small daughters, who had i 
lovely complexions from eating all their meat raw, 
like their father, but they had little grey eyes, 
quite round, and sunk far back in their heads. 
They had hooked noses, which made them look 
like birds of prey, and large, cruel-looking mouths 
132 



LITTLE THUMBLING 
with sharp-pointed teeth sticking out, with wide 
spaces between them. As yet, they were too 
young to be very dangerous, but as their greatest 
pleasure was to bite young children in order to 
suck their blood, they were likely to be very 
ferocious when they grew up. 

They slept all together in a very large bed, and 
instead of a nightcap each litde ogress had a crown 
of solid gold on her head. 

In the same room there was another very large 
bed, into which the ogre’s wife put the seven boys* 
making them as comfortable as she could before 
she went downstairs to sleep beside her husband. 

The six strong boys slept soundly, but Thumb- 
ling lay awake trying to devise some means of 
escape. 

He feared that if the ogre awoke and regretted 
having let them off for a few hours, he might 
come up and kill them before morning, so he set 
his brains to work harder than ever. 

He had noticed, when passing the bed of the 
young ogresses, that each of them had a gold crown 
on, and his sharp wit showed him what to do. 
He got up softly, and very gently removed the 
133 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
crowns, without waking the sleeping ogresses. 
Then he took the damp woolly caps which he and 
his brothers had still on their heads when put to 
bed, and slipped one over the hair of each ogress. 
Then he put the crowns on his brothers’ heads 
and his own, and lay down to keep watch. 

It all happened just as he expected. 

The ogre awoke a litde after midnight, and 
remembered the dainty morsels that had come to 
him so unexpectedly. 

“ What a fool I was not to kill them at once,” 
said he; “ something might happen to deprive me 
of them even yet. I shall go up and make sure 
of them.” So saying, he rolled out of bed and got 
hold of his great knife. 

“We shall see what the rogues are doing,” 
said he; “I shall make short work of them ! ” 

He did not want to disturb his wife, as she 
might have been troublesome, so he did not ask 
for a candle, but groped his way up in the dark, 
and went straight to where he knew the boys were 
sleeping. He passed his great hand over each 
head, to the terror of Thumbling, who could 
hardly keep from betraying himself by screaming 
134 


LITTLE THUMBLING 
out. The others, sleeping soundly, did not know 
the danger they were in. 

The giant seemed to hesitate. He muttered 
something and felt again, but, sure enough, they 
were crowns. 

“ That’s a nice trick I had nearly played! ” 
said he to himself. “ I must have taken a good 
deal more wine than I thought last night, to make 
such a mistake in my own house ! ” 

He then went to the other bed, and, groping 
as before, laid hold of a boy’s wool cap. 

“ Ah! here you are, you rascals! To work, 
then, at once ! ” Without a moment’s hesitation, 
he cut the throats of all the seven, and went down 
again, well pleased, to his bed. 

Thumbling went on tiptoe to the door, which 
the ogre had left open, and stood listening till he 
heard the loud snoring of the ogre; then he went 
back to his brothers, whom he wakened, telling 
them to dress as quickly as they could and to follow 
him silently downstairs. 

They managed to get out to the garden without 
the ogre hearing—perhaps the kind-hearted wife 
had left the door unbolted, hoping the boys might 
135 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
get away. They soon climbed over the wall and 
ran for their lives, trembling in every limb, and 
not knowing where they were going. 

When the ogre awoke he roused his wife. 

“ Go upstairs,” said he, “ and dress those little 
rascals that arrived last night.” 

The woman was astounded at her husband’s 
kindness, thinking he meant her to put on the 
little lads’ clothes, not dreaming that he was 
ordering her to prepare them to be eaten at table. 
She went upstairs, pleased to help the little fellows 
she had such a liking for, but what a sight met 
her eyes! On the bed lay her seven daughters, 
quite dead! It was too much! She fainted in 
the doorway, as most women would have been 
likely to do. 

The ogre thought she was taking a long time 
to prepare the children, and, being very particular 
about his food, he went up to help her. He got 
as great a shock as his wife had done, but he 
was much stronger to stand it. 

“ Oh ! what have I done ? ” he shouted, his 
voice shaking the whole house. “The wretches 
shall pay for it, and soon ! ” 

136 


LITTLE THUMBLING 
With that he lifted a jug of water, and threw 
it in his wife’s face. As soon as he saw her begin¬ 
ning to recover, he cried : 

“ Give me my seven-league boots, and be 
quick about it—I must catch the little villains ! ” 
As soon as he had pulled on his seven-league 
boots, he rushed out, striding over the country in 
every direction. Fortunately for them, the boys 
had five or six hours’ start, and fear had lent wings 
to their feet. They could already see their father’s 
house on the other side of the valley, when they 
saw the ogre coming in their direction, striding 
from hill to hill, and stepping over rivers as easily 
as they could cross tiny brooks. 

Thumbling’s quick eyes saw a hollow beneath 
a big rock, quite near. He hid his brothers in it, 
and crept in after them, but he did not let himself 
lose sight of the ogre. 

Seven-league boots are very tiring to the 
wearer, and the giant began to feel weary. As 
bad luck would have it, he sat down to rest on the 
very rock under which the brothers were hiding. 
As he was dreadfully tired, he soon fell fast asleep, 
and the noise of his snoring was so great that the 
137 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
boys were nearly as frightened as they had been 
when he brought out his great knife to kill them. 
Brave litde Thumbling was less frightened than 
the others; he told his brothers that the giant 
was too fast asleep to waken for some time, and he 
advised them to creep out very quietly and make 
for home as quickly as they could. They were 
not to worry about leaving him alone, as he felt 
quite able to take care of himself. The boys were 
only too glad to take the advice, and as soon as 
they were a few yards away they set off as quickly 
as their legs would carry them. 

Thumbling was now left alone. He went 
quietly up to the ogre, and gently pulled off the 
seven-league boots, which he promptly put on his 
own feet. Each boot, as he drew it on, was big 
enough to swallow him and all his brothers, but, 
being made by the fairies, it could stretch or 
draw in to suit the wearer, and the pair fitted 
Thumbling as if they had been made for him. 

The first use he made of them w r as to go straight 
to the house of the ogre, where he found the poor 
mother weeping beside the bodies of her daughters. 

“ Your husband,” said little Thumbling to her, 
138 


LITTLE THUMBLING 
“ is in great danger. He fell into the hands of a 
gang of robbers, who have sworn to kill him if he 
does not give them everything he possesses. Just 
when they had their daggers at his breast, he caught 
sight of me, and begged them to wait till he sent 
me to you. I am to ask you to give me all his 
gold and silver, and all his valuables; otherwise 
they will kill him without mercy. As there is no 
time to lose, he has lent me, as you see, his seven- 
league boots to reach you more quickly, and to 
prove that I am not an impostor.” 

The poor woman was in greater distress than 
ever, for although the ogre ate little children he 
was, after all, her husband. She quickly got all 
his money and valuables together, and handed 
them to Thumbling, who sped with them to his 
father’s cottage, where the whole family received 
him with great joy. 

Many people say that Thumbling never robbed 
the ogre of his riches in this way, though he made 
no scruple about taking the boots, knowing that 
the ogre only used them to steal litde children that 
he might eat them. 

Some of these people say they can assure us, 

139 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
on the best authority, having been in the wood¬ 
cutters’ house, and having sat at their table, that 
Thumbling did not go back to the ogre’s house at 
all. They say that he went to the Court, where 
he had learned that the King was anxious to know 
the result of a great battle which his army had 
been fighting in a distant country with which he 
was at war, and offered his services, saying he 
would bring the news before the next morning. 
The King promised to give him a great sum of 
money if he could do so, and, thanks to his own 
nimbleness and the seven-league boots, he brought 
the news that very evening. The fame of his 
wonderful speed spread everywhere. The King 
gave him a great salary as his principal courier, 
and as so many people wanted news of husbands, 
sons, brothers, or lovers who were in the army, he 
made a great fortune in a very short time. He 
provided a nice home for his parents, who never 
needed to work again, and got his brothers edu¬ 
cated and put into honourable posts. 

As I was not there to see, I do not know which 
of these tales is true, nor do I know what became 
of the ogre, but I myself think the ogre died of 
140 


LITTLE THUMBLING 
sunstroke after his exertions when hunting for 
the boys in the great heat, and that Thumbling, 
being sorry for the poor wife who had done her 
best for him and his brothers, and thinking her 
too good to be called an ogress, made her house¬ 
keeper, with charge over all his servants, at the 
great casde which he built for himself near the 
forest where his parents had worked. 







RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 


O NCE a Queen had a little boy who came 
into the world so unpleasing in face and 
so deformed in body that the poor little 
fellow looked hardly human. 

Naturally this was a great grief to the mother, 
who loved her son, and wished everyone else to 
love him. 

A fairy who was present at his birth assured 
her that, in spite of his appearance, the babe would 
be a most lovable child, and that he would make 
up for his want of good looks by his great intelli¬ 
gence and his kind disposition, besides which, as 
her gift, she had just endowed him with the power 
of making the lady he should love best one of the 
wittiest and cleverest people in the world. 

The fairy’s speech cheered and comforted the 
143 









FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
Queen, for she knew that, though beauty is a 
valuable gift, it can be easily destroyed, but that 
intelligence and sweetness of temper are lifelong 
attractions. 

By the time the child began to speak, the 
fairy’s words were proved true, for he astonished 
all around him with his witty remarks, and with 
the sweet way he had of saying just the right thing; 
also, in all his litde actions there was such clever¬ 
ness and grace of manner that everybody was 
charmed with him. 

I forgot to tell you that he was bom with a 
little tuft of hair on the top of his head, so that 
he was at once named Riquet with the Tuft, for 
Riquet was the family surname. 

Seven or eight years later, the Queen of a 
neighbouring kingdom had twin daughters. The 
first-bom was as beautiful as the dawn, and so 
great was the mother’s joy that the attendants 
feared lest she should suffer from over-excitement. 
The fairy who had presided at the birth of little 
Riquet with the Tuft was again present, so she 
told the Queen that the little Princess, though 
charmingly pretty, would have very little intelli- 
144 


RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 
gence, and would be as dull and stupid as she 
was beautiful. 

This speech damped the Queen’s spirits very 
much, but an even greater disappointment awaited 
her, for, when the second daughter was bom, 
she was found to be one of the plainest-looking 
children ever seen, and the poor mother was 
terribly grieved about it. 

“ Do not distress yourself so much, Madam,” 
said the fairy; “your little daughter will have 
much to make her happy. Her wit and liveliness 
will be such that no one will notice her want of 
good looks.” 

“ God grant it may be so ! ” replied the Queen. 
“ But have you no means of giving a little good 
sense to my poor pretty one ? ” 

“ I can do nothing for her in the matter of 
intelligence,” said the fairy, “but where beauty is 
concerned I can do much, and, as there is nothing 
I would not do to please you, I now give her power 
to endow the person she loves best with beauty 
as great as her own.” 

As these twin Princesses grew up, their attrac¬ 
tions increased, and the whole talk at Court was 
145 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
about the beauty of the elder, and the intelligent 
wit of the younger. 

True, their defects also became more apparent, 
the younger becoming every day visibly plainer, 
while the elder daily grew more dull and stupid. 
When spoken to, she either made no answer at all 
or said something foolishly rude. She was so 
awkward in her movements that she could not 
arrange four china ornaments on a shelf without 
letting one fall, nor could she drink out of a glass 
without spilling half of its contents over her clothes. 

Although beauty adds so much to the charm 
of youth, in this case it was the plain Princess who, 
in every company, attracted the most attention. 
At first people might go to where the beautiful 
elder Princess sat, that they might see and admire 
her, but they soon tired of her senseless remarks, 
and left her to join the circle which gathered 
round the plain sister, whose agreeable conver¬ 
sation and sparkling wit charmed all listeners. 
Sometimes people so far forgot their good manners 
as to leave the poor beauty all alone; stupid 
though she was, she could not help noticing this, 
and she would willingly have given all her beauty 
146 


RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 
in exchange for one half of her younger sister’s 
intelligence. 

Her silliness was so irritating that everyone’s 
patience got worn out, and even the Queen, though 
a most wise and prudent lady, could not help 
reproaching her repeatedly for her stupid rude¬ 
ness, so that the poor Princess was often miserably 
unhappy. 

One day she went alone into the wood near 
the palace, to weep over her lot without being seen, 
and she noticed, coming toward her, a small and 
very ugly young man, magnificently dressed. It 
was the young Prince Riquet with the Tuft, who 
had fallen in love with her from seeing her por¬ 
trait, which hung on the walls of every castle he 
visited. He had come all the way from his father’s 
kingdom, a very long way off, to have the pleasure 
of seeing her personally, and, if possible, of enter¬ 
ing into conversation with her. 

Delighted to find the beautiful Princess alone, 
he went forward with respectful politeness, and, 
bowing low, begged to be allowed to introduce 
himself. After he had talked to her for some time, 
paying her many compliments, but .getting no 
147 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
answers to his remarks, he noticed that she seemed 
oppressed with deep melancholy. 

“ I cannot understand. Madam,” said he, “ how 
anyone so beautiful as yourself can be so sad as 
you appear to be, for, although I can boast of 
having seen many beautiful ladies in my travels, 
I can say, with truth, that I have never seen any¬ 
one whose beauty approaches yours.” 

“ It pleases you to say so,” was all he got for 
his pretty speech. 

“ Beauty,” continued Riquet with the Tuft , K is 
such a very precious possession that it ought to 
make up for all disadvantages, and, in my opinion, 
those who have it need not let anything else trouble 
them.” 

“ I should prefer,” said the Princess sadly, 
“ being as ugly as yourself and being clever, to 
being so beautiful yet looked upon as a fool.” 

“ Nothing is such a sure sign of good sense, 
Madam, as to recognize one’s own defects. No one 
who is really wise ever thinks himself wise enough.” 

“ I know nothing about that,” said the Princess. 
“ What I do know is that I am very stupid, and 
that makes me feel ready to die of grief.” 

148 



PRINCE RIQUET ACCOSTS THE PRINCESS 

























































. 





















































RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 

“ If that is all that troubles you, Madam, I can 
easily put an end to your sorrow! ” said Riquet 
with the Tuft. 

“ What can you do in the matter ? ” asked the 
Princess. 

“ Madam,” rephed he, “ I can endow the person 
I love best with as much cleverness as any one 
could wish to possess, and, as you are that person, 
it remains with yourself to choose whether or not 
you will become the most witty lady in the world. 
One condition, however, must be observed—you 
must be willing to marry me.” 

The Princess was dumbfounded—she answered 
not a word! 

“ I see,” continued Riquet with the Tuft, “ that 
the bare idea is painful to you, and that does not 
surprise me, so I will give you a whole year to 
make up your mind.” 

The poor stupid Princess thought a year was 
such a long time that it would hardly ever come 
to an end, and, having a great desire to be as clever 
as her sister, she promised to marry Riquet with 
the Tuft a year from that day. 

No sooner had she given her promise than 
149 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
such a marvellous change came over her that she 
felt like a different creature. She could think 
clearly and express her ideas with astonishing ease, 
speaking on every subject with keen intelligence, 
and using the most refined and polished language. 

She began a bantering conversation with the 
Prince, when her ready wit and brilliant sallies 
made him ask himself whether he had not made 
her more clever than himself. 

On her return to the palace, the amazing 
change in the Princess was so evident that the 
whole Court was surprised and puzzled. No one 
knew what to make of it, for, whereas they had 
once never heard her speak without saying some¬ 
thing silly or rude, or both, now she spoke with 
the good sense and quiet dignity of a highly 
cultivated lady, fit to be the partner of the most 
particular of kings or princes. 

The joy at Court was extreme. From the 
King and Queen to the humblest attendant, every¬ 
one was delighted with the lively wit which now 
added such a charm to their beautiful Princess. 
The younger sister alone found it impossible to 
rejoice. 


150 


RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 

It was indeed hard on her, for the one advan¬ 
tage which her cleverness had given her over her 
stupid but beautiful sister was now of no account; 
everyone crowded round the brilliant beauty, 
without taking the trouble to notice her poor, 
plain-looking self, for even in Courts people can 
be selfishly neglectful of other people’s feelings. 

The elder sister was now as much sought after 
for her wisdom as for her beauty. The King 
took her advice in everything that concerned his 
government, and he even held his privy council in 
her room. 

The rumour of this great change spread far 
and wide, and all the princes of the neighbouring 
kingdoms vied with each other as suitors for the 
hand of the beautiful Princess, who listened cour¬ 
teously to one after another, but as she found none 
of them sufficiently interesting to please her, she 
accepted none. If you think it strange that she 
had forgotten her promise to Riquet with the Tuft 
you will hear shortly how this came about. 

Finally came a young Prince who was so power¬ 
ful, so rich, so clever, and so very handsome that 
she could not help feeling attracted by him. 

151 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

Her father noticed this, and told her that he left 
her quite free to choose the husband she preferred; 
she had only to tell him when her choice was made. 

The more good sense people have, the more 
difficult they find it to decide in such an important 
affair as marriage. The Princess thanked her father, 
and asked to be allowed a little time for reflection 
before deciding. 

As she wished to be alone with her thoughts, 
she went out for a quiet walk, and entered the 
wood without remembering that, a year before, 
in this very wood, she had promised to marry the 
Prince whose marvellous gift had made her so 
intelligent. Indeed, the first result of that gift had 
been that all memory of her former stupid words 
and actions was quite blotted out. 

For a while she walked on, in deep thought, 
but after a litde time she became aware of dull 
muffled sounds somewhere quite near, so she stood 
still to listen. 

The sounds seemed to come from beneath her 
feet, as if many people were busily working under¬ 
ground, and she even heard their voices and could 
distinguish their words. 

152 


RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 

“Fetch me the pan,” said one. “Hand me 
that kettle,” said another. “ Put more wood on 
the fire,” said a third. 

As the Princess stood bewildered, the ground 
in front of her opened, and, to her utter amazement, 
she saw the interior of a great kitchen, with men- 
servants and maids busily engaged in preparing a 
grand banquet. 

At the same time a band of twenty or thirty 
men who had charge of the roasting came out, 
and went to take their places round a long table 
placed in an alley of the wood. Each had his 
larding-pin in his hand, and they all began to 
work heartily together, keeping time to a merry 
song. 

The astonished Princess asked for whom they 
were preparing such a feast. 

“ We are preparing the wedding-feast of Prince 
Riquet with the Tuft, Madam,” was the reply. 
“ He is to be married to-morrow.” 

The words recalled in a flash her promise to 
the Prince, and she stood stunned and ready to fall, 
as if she had received a blow. Recovering herself, 
she walked on a few paces, and suddenly found 
153 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
herself face to face with the Prince, magnificently 
arrayed as became a royal bridegroom. 

Riquet with the Tuft advanced joyfully to meet 
her. 

“ How delighted I am, dear Princess, to find 
you as punctual as myself in keeping our appoint¬ 
ment ! I had hardly dared to hope that you would 
come yourself to meet me, and to make me the 
happiest man in the world by giving me your 
hand.” 

The Princess drew back coldly and replied: 

“ I must confess that I had no such intention. 
I have not yet made up my mind on the subject, 
nor do I think I shall ever be able to grant your 
request.” 

“ Your words astonish me, Madam,” said the 
Prince, completely taken aback. 

“ I quite believe you,” said the Princess, “ and 
if I had to deal with a coarse, vulgar fellow, too 
stupid to take in the situation, I should indeed be 
in a difficulty, but as I am addressing the most 
refined and intelligent gentleman in the whole 
world, I feel quite sure that you yourself will see 
how impossible it would be for me to keep a 
154 


RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 
promise made when I had not the sense to know 
what I was doing. If you really wished me to 
marry you, it would have been wiser not to have 
made me so difficult to please that I have already 
rejected the handsomest princes who have asked 
me in marriage.” 

“Madam,” said Riquet with the Tuft, “you 
have admitted that a coarse and stupid man might 
have held you to your word! Is it just or kind 
to treat me worse than such a fellow, because I am 
a gentleman ? Surely that cannot be approved by 
one who so greatly desired the gift of wit and 
wisdom for herself! But, be that as it may, let us 
come to facts. Permit me to ask. Madam, if, apart 
from my appearance, there is anything else about 
me which displeases you ? Do you disapprove of 
my birth, my character, or my manners ? ” 

“Not at all,” said the Princess; “in all these 
I find you perfect.” 

“ If that is so,” said Riquet with the Tuft, “ I 
may yet be happy, as you yourself can make me 
the most lovable of men, even in appearance.” 

“ How can I possibly do that ? ” asked the 
Princess. 


155 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
“ By loving me so much that you wish me to 
be handsome, Madam; for the same fairy who 
gave me power to make you wise, gave you, at 
your birth, the power to make the man you love 
as handsome as you are beautiful.” 

“ If that is so,” said the Princess, “ I desire 
with all my heart that you may become the finest- 
looking Prince in the wide world! ” 

The Princess had no sooner uttered the words 
than Prince Riquet with the Tuft stood before her 
transformed! 

In face, in person, and in bearing she felt she 
had never seen his equal. 

Some people tell us that it was not the fairy’s 
magic which worked the change. They say that, 
as “ beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” it was 
the great love that filled the heart of the Princess 
when she thought of all the Prince’s goodness of 
heart and other great qualities that made her see 
him in quite a different fight. However that may 
be, the Princess was eager to marry Prince Riquet 
with the Tuft as soon as she could obtain her 
father’s consent. This the King gave at once, for 
he had long heard of the Prince’s great intelligence 
156 


RIQUET WITH THE TUFT 
and sweetness of disposition, and now that he 
saw him and heard him speak he was highly 
pleased to have him for his son-in-law. So the 
marriage took place the very next day, all the Court 
sharing in the festivities which had already been 
prepared by the Prince’s retainers. 

Prince Riquet with the Tuft and his beautiful 
and witty Princess lived long and happily together, 
admired and loved by their loyal subjects in every 
part of their kingdom. 


157 







THE WHITE GAT 
HERE was once a King who had three 
grown-up sons, and, fearing that their 



X ambition might make them wish him out 
of the way in order that one or other of them 
might reign in his stead, he called them to him, 
and said: 

“ I wish to give up my Crown to one of you, 
but I think it is only right that you should, in 
the meantime, do your very best to please me. 
When I leave the throne I intend to retire to 
some place in the country, and as I might feel 
a little lonely, I think I should like to have a nice 
little dog to bear me company, so that one of 
you who will bring me the prettiest little dog 
shall be King in my place.” 

The Princes were rather surprised, but they 


159 










FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
at once prepared to say good-bye to their father, 
who told them to return in exactly a year from 
that day. 

The three brothers swore eternal friendship 
for each other, and changed their names for 
fear of being recognized. Then they set out, 
all taking different roads. 

The two elder had many adventures, but 
we shall only relate those of the youngest, who 
was both the handsomest and the most accom¬ 
plished of the three. 

He lost no time before starting his search. 
Every day he bought a new dog, parting with 
it as soon as he found a better bred or more 
handsome one. 

One evening his road lay through a forest, 
and when he was about the middle of it a fearful 
thunderstorm came on; rain fell in torrents, 
he got wet to the skin, and, worst of all, he lost 
his way in the darkness. After wandering about 
without knowing even the direction in which 
he was going, he suddenly saw a bright light 
through an opening of the trees, and he gladly 
went toward it, soon finding himself at the 
160 


THE WHITE CAT 

entrance to a superb palace. The gate was of 
burnished gold studded with gems, whose bril¬ 
liance lighted up the whole surroundings. This 
was the light that had guided him. A stag’s foot 
hung from the gate by a chain of diamonds; 
the Prince took hold of this and gave a tug, 
when he heard the ringing of a little gold bell 
inside. 

A moment elapsed, then the door opened of 
itself. No one was visible, but a dozen hands, 
each holding a torch in the air, lighted up the 
entrance. He stood amazed and irresolute, but 
other hands from behind pushed him firmly 
forward. He went on, grasping the hilt of his 
sword, prepared for all risks, but on entering 
a marble hall two melodious voices begged him 
to have no fear of the hands which he saw. 
Thus encouraged, he went forward through 
endless suites of splendidly furnished rooms, 
all marvellously lit up. After conducting him 
through at least sixty apartments, the guiding 
hands stopped. A great armchair moved for¬ 
ward to the fireplace, where the fire began to 
burn brightly, and the hands took off his wet 
161 L 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
clothing. They drew forward a dressing-table 
furnished with the most costly articles for the 
toilet, they combed and brushed his hair, and 
dressed him in a much grander suit than any 
he had ever had. When they had finished, he 
looked as handsome as a young Greek god, and 
they led him to the superb dining-hall, on the 
walls of which were hung the portraits of all 
the cats famous in story—Puss in Boots, the 
Writing Cat, the Lady-’Cat, the Sorcerers who 
had become Cats—and also all the rites and 
ceremonies of the Witch revels. 

The table was laid fjr two. The Prince 
was asking himself“ W, y two?” when he 
saw some cats taking their laces in a specially 
arranged orchestra. One I^d a music-book, 
another, evidently the conductor, had a roll of 
paper to beat time, and the-others had small 
guitars. They all began to new in different 
tones, and to twang the strings-of the guitars. 
It was a strange concert, and the ^rince clapped 
his hands over his ears to shut oL ,the discord, 
while he swayed with laughter atu £ grimaces 
made by the cat musicians. 

162 


THE WHITE CAT 

Then entered a little figure about twenty 
inches high. The little creature was covered 
from head to foot with a veil of black crape. 
She was accompanied by two cats, who were 
also in mourning, and each had a sword hanging 
at his side. An escort of cats followed, carrying 
rat-traps full of rats and cages filled with mice. 

The little figure threw back her veil, and 
the Prince saw the most lovely little white 
pussy-cat he had ever seen in his life. She 
looked very young and very sad, and she mewed 
to him so sweetly .hat his heart was quite 
touched with pity. 

“ King’s Son,” aid sne, “ you are welcome. 
My mewing Maje. y sees you with pleasure.” 

“ Madam Puso ” replied the Prince, “ I thank 
you; but you are not an ordinary pussy-cat— 
your gift of speech, and your splendid castle, 
show me that.” 

“ Cease pa T ng me compliments,” said Pussy. 
“ I am simpl in manner, but I like to be kind. 
Come, stop he music and serve supper.” 

Hands nought in supper and put it on the 
table. T n re were two dishes, one of stewed 
163 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
pigeons, the other of fat mice. Puss assured 
the Prince that he could eat without fear, as 
his food would always be separately cooked and 
served, so he ate with hearty appetite and enjoyed 
his supper. He noticed that the cat wore a 
portrait on a bracelet round her little front paw, 
and he asked her if he might see it. She showed 
it him willingly, and his surprise was great, for 
it was that of a young man so like himself that 
it might easily have been mistaken for his own. 

After supper White Puss took her guest to 
a room where there was a platform arranged as 
a stage, on which a dozen cats and as many 
monkeys danced a ballet very cleverly. Then 
she wished the Prince good night, and he was 
conducted by the hands to a bedroom which was 
even more splendid than the one he had been 
in before supper. 

The next morning the Prince was awakened 
by a great stir and noise in the court of the 
castle. The attendant hands dressed him in 
hunting-costume. He went to look out of the 
window, and in the park he saw a great con¬ 
course of over five hundred cats, some holding 
164 


THE WHITE CAT 

greyhounds in leash, others winding their horns. 
White Puss was going hunting and wished the 
Prince to accompany her. 

The hands mounted him on a wooden horse 
which either went at full gallop or walked, as 
desired. 

White Puss herself rode on a monkey. She 
had taken off her veil and wore a dragoon’s 
helmet, which gave her such a commanding 
appearance that all the mice were terrified when 
they saw her. 

When the day’s sport was ended, White Puss 
took a little hunting-horn, not more than three 
inches long, and blew two or three blasts, when 
all the cats came crowding round her. She 
returned to the castle with this feline escort, 
and again invited the Prince to go with her. 
He consented from politeness, but all this 
behaviour on the part of cats seemed to him 
too much like witches’ enchantments. 

They again supped together, and the fine 
wines the Prince drank made him completely 
forget about the little dog he was searching for 
to take to his father. He seemed to think of 
165 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
nothing but White Puss, and even forgot his 
country so far as to wish at times that he were 
a cat to pass the rest of his life in such good 
company, for there was no game or sport of 
any kind that White Puss would not set a-going 
for his entertainment; sometimes she even 
invented new games to amuse him. 

It was almost a year since the Prince had 
left home, but he did not remember the fact till 
White Puss said to him one day : 

“ Do you know that you have only three 
days now left to seek for the litde dog your 
father wants ? Your two brothers have got 
beauties.” 

“ What! ” exclaimed the Prince. “ Have I 
actually forgotten the very thing I left home to 
do ? Where shall I find such a little dog as is 
needed ? And if I had it, where is the horse 
swift enough to take me to my father’s palace 
in three days ? ” 

He was in great distress, but White Puss 
came to the rescue. 

“ The wooden horse will not take one day 
to carry you home to your father’s, and, as far 
166 


THE WHITE CAT 

as the little dog is concerned, here is an acorn 
containing one which is more lovely than the 
dog-star itself. Hold the acorn to your ear and 
you will hear it yelping. 

“ It is, however, important that no one should 
know of this little dog till you open it in the 
presence of your father. Promise me this.” 

The Prince was overjoyed. He readily gave 
his promise, thanked White Puss a thousand 
times for all her kindness, then mounted the 
wooden horse and set off. 

He was the first of the three to arrive at the 
castle where he and his brothers had appointed 
to meet each other. As he dared not tell them 
of his extraordinary adventures, nor speak of the 
acorn he carried, he took a quite common dog 
with him, and they, very naturally, supposed it 
was the one he intended to offer the King, but 
they made no remark. 

Next morning the three sons went together 
to their father. Each of the two elder carried 
a small basket, with a lovely little dog; these 
a nimals were so exquisitely fine and small that 
they seemed almost too fragile to be handled 
167 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
without hurting them. The dog led by the 
youngest looked quite horrid by contrast with 
these dainty little animals. 

The King found it difficult to decide which 
was the prettier of the two little dogs, when the 
youngest son settled the matter by opening the 
acorn given him by White Puss. Inside there 
was a tiny dog lying on cotton-wool. It was 
so small it could go through a lady’s ring, yet 
it was full of energy, and danced on its tiny 
hind legs to the great delight of everyone present. 
It was so perfect in form and so dainty that the 
King was speechless with wonder. There could 
be no longer any doubt as to which of the sons 
had brought the best little dog. 

The King, however, did not want to give up 
his Crown quite yet, so he told his sons that he 
would give them another year to seek for a piece 
of linen, so fine that it could pass through 
the eye of a needle such as is used in making 
Venetian point lace. 

Each of the three set out again, but with 
fewer professions of friendship than before, 
the episode of the marvellous little dog hav ing 
168 


THE WHITE CAT 

caused a certain degree of coolness between 
them. 

Our Prince returned to the castle of White 
Puss, who had been very ill since he went away. 
When she saw him safe back, she recovered 
immediately and jumped high for sheer joy. 

The Prince told her the result of his journey, 
and what the new quest was to be. 

“ That will be quite easy to procure,” said 
she. “ Some of my cats can spin thread like 
gossamer, so the piece of linen will be ready in 
time for you.” 

In the evening they had great fireworks to 
celebrate the Prince’s return, and four cats which 
had stolen White Pussy’s cheese and had been 
condemned to death were pardoned and set 
free, by request of the Prince, so no sadness 
clouded the joy of the evening. 

For many weeks sports, games, and theatrical 
entertainments followed each other in rapid 
succession. White Puss was so clever that every 
day she found something interesting to do or 
to see, and this second year passed as quickly 
as the first had done. 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

White Puss, who never forgot to watch over 
the welfare of the Prince, told him again when 
it was time for him to return to his father. This 
time she gave him an equipage and an escort 
worthy of his royal birth. There was an open 
carriage of solid gold, drawn by twelve white 
horses, whose red velvet housings were thickly 
embroidered with diamonds. It was followed 
by a hundred coaches, each drawn by eight grey 
horses, the coaches being filled with the great 
lords of the court in superb uniforms, and 
the carriages were accompanied by a thousand 
gentlemen of the Guards, mounted on chestnut 
steeds, and on the carriages and harness every¬ 
where were ornamental devices with the portrait 
of the White Cat. 

“ Go and prosper,” said she to the Prince. 
“Take this walnut with you. Do not break it 
till you are in the presence of the King; you 
will find in it the linen you desire.” 

“ Dear little White One,” said he, “ I should 
prefer living here with you to any other earthly 
grandeur.” 

“ King’s Son,” said she, “ you are kind, and 


THE WHITE CAT 

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for 
your affection for a poor little cat who is good 
for nothing but catching mice.” 

The Prince kissed the little white paw and 
departed. 

This time he was the last of the three to 
arrive, and his brothers had already unfolded 
for the King’s inspection their pieces of linen, 
so fine that they could be threaded through 
the eye of a darning needle, but neither of the 
pieces was sufficiently fine to pass through 
the eye of the fine lace-making needle which 
the King held in his hand. The linen these 
two Princes brought was really so fine that many 
people were dissatisfied with the King for being 
so exacting. While the matter was being dis¬ 
cussed there was the sound of delightful music 
outside the palace—it was our young Prince 
arriving with his retinue. 

He entered, saluted his father and kissed his 
brothers; then he produced the walnut and 
cracked it, but instead of a piece of linen he 
found a hazel-nut. This also he cracked, and 
found a cherry-stone. The courtiers looked at 
171 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
each other, and the King laughed quietly to 
himself. The Prince grew very red, but pro¬ 
ceeded to break the cherry-stone, which was 
quite filled with its own kernel. Then, indeed, 
everyone laughed aloud and made game of 
him. He took no notice of their ironical re¬ 
marks, but opened the kernel, where he found 
a grain of wheat, and in the wheat one grain 
of bird-seed. Then he could not help saying 
to himself: “ White Puss, White Puss, you are 
playing a practical joke on me! ” 

At that moment an unseen paw scratched 
the back of his hand, so that it bled slightly. 
Reassured, he opened the seed and, to the 
amazement of all, drew out a piece of linen four 
hundred yards long, on which were painted all 
kinds of birds, animals, and fishes, with trees, 
shrubs, and fruit. Besides all these, there were 
the sun, moon, and stars, and the portraits of 
all the reigning sovereigns in the world. 

When the King saw this web unfolded, he 
became as white as his son had become red 
while searching for it. It was passed and re¬ 
passed through the needle six times. 

172 


THE WHITE CAT 

The King drew a long sigh; then, turning to 
his children, he said : 

“ Go and travel for yet another year, and he 
who will bring home the most beautiful young 
lady shall marry her and be crowned King. I 
wish my successor to be married, and I give 
you my word for it that I shall not again delay 
the reward.” 

As our Prince had already been twice suc¬ 
cessful, the injustice of his father’s action fell 
entirely on him, but he was far too respectful 
to complain. He said not a word, but went 
back to his dear little White Puss. 

She was expecting him, and was seated on 
a dais under a pavilion of cloth of gold. The 
road was strewn with flowers, and all the cats 
mewed their best to bid him welcome. 

“ Well! ” she exclaimed. “ Do you return 
again without your crown ? ” 

“ Madam,” replied the Prince, “ I believe 
it is grieving my father more to part with his 
Crown than it is going to please me to possess 
it.” 

“That makes no difference,” said she; “you 
173 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
must do your best to deserve it, and since your 
father now wants a beautiful young lady to be 
taken to his Court, I shall seek for one who will 
win the prize for you. In the meantime let 
us go on with the rejoicings I had arranged for 
your return. There is to be a naval engagement 
between my cats and the terrible rats of this 
country. My cats will find fighting at sea diffi¬ 
cult, as they have a great fear of water, but 
otherwise they would have a very unfair advan¬ 
tage, and as I like to be just, we must equalize 
things.” 

The Prince praised her wise planning, and 
went with her to a terrace close to the sea. 

The vessels of the cats were huge pieces of 
cork. The rats’ boats were made of egg-shells 
joined to each other. The combat was a terrible 
one. Twenty times the rats were vanquished 
and victorious by turns, but at last Admiral 
Minagrobis, who commanded the feline fleet, 
reduced the rats to despair by eating up their 
general, and White Puss gave the signal to stop 
fighting. She had no desire to destroy the 
enemy completely. She reflected that, if there 
174 


THE WHITE CAT 

were neither rats nor mice in the country, her 
subjects would have nothing to hunt and would 
live in idleness, which would be fatal to the race. 

The Prince spent this year like the two 
former ones, riding, hunting, fishing, or playing 
chess, a game in which White Puss excelled. 
Many times the Prince asked her to tell him 
if she were really a fairy, or if some fairy had 
turned her into a cat, but instead of giving him 
a direct answer she always beat about the bush 
in such a manner that he could make neither 
head nor tail of her meaning, and he concluded 
that she did not wish to be questioned on the 
subject. 

The Prince would again have forgotten the 
end of the year, had not White Puss told him, 
the evening before the day he had to start, that 
it was for himself to decide whether or not he 
would take back a beautiful Princess to his 
father’s Court. She told him that the hour for 
undoing the fatal work of the fairies had come, 
and that all he needed to do was to cut off her 
head and her tail and throw them into the fire. 

“ I! ” cried he in horror. “ Oh! little White 
175 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
One, you are putting me to a terrible test! I 
am quite incapable of acting thus toward my 
kindest and best friend ! ” 

She tried to persuade him to steel himself 
to do as she asked him, but all her eloquence 
failed, till she at last assured him that both his 
own happiness and hers depended on his com¬ 
plying with her request. Then, with a trembling 
hand, he drew his sword and cut off both her 
head and her tail. 

Was he dreaming ? What had happened ? 
Instead of his poor White Puss, there stood 
before him the most beautiful girl his eyes had 
ever beheld. 

At first he believed himself to be under some 
enchantment, but it was far otherwise. His 
action had broken the spell under which his 
dear White Puss, as well as all the inmates of 
the castle, had lain. 

They trooped in, lords and ladies, with their 
cat-skins thrown across their shoulders, and all 
pressed forward to pay court to their dear young 
Queen, who received them with great kindness. 
Then she asked them all to retire for a while, 
176 


THE WHITE CAT 

as she wished to speak privately to the Prince. 
When they had withdrawn, and she was left 
alone with the Prince, she said : 

“ Do not think I was always a cat, or that 
my birth was not quite equal to your own. My 
father was monarch over six kingdoms. My 
mother, who loved to travel, wanted to go to 
a certain great mountain, and on the way she 
was told that near it was an enchanted castle 
into which no one dared enter but the fairies to 
whom it belonged, and that in the castle garden 
were found the finest fruits of the whole world. 
The Queen, my mother, had a great desire to 
taste some of these fruits, so she went to the 
door of the magnificent building and knocked 
repeatedly, but got no answer. She asked some 
of her attendants to climb over the garden walls, 
but the walls grew higher and higher, and when 
they brought ladders, these broke, and the men 
who were on them fell and were killed. The 
Queen got tents pitched quite near to the castle, 
and stayed there with her followers for six 
weeks. She was taken with a great sickness, 
and her people feared she was going to die. 

177 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
One night she saw a very ugly little old woman 
sitting by her bed, and presently the visitor 
began to speak: 

“ ‘ Since you are so determined to have some 
of our fruit,’ said she, ‘ we shall give you 
some, but in return you must also make us a 
gift.’ 

“ ‘ Oh ! for that,’ said the Queen, * just ask 
what you want.’ 

“ ‘ We want the little daughter who is coming 
to you soon. We shall come to fetch her as 
soon as she is born. She shall be our child, 
and we shall take good care of her and make 
her happy, but you shall not be allowed to see 
her again till she is married. Are you willing 
to accept our conditions ? ’ 

“ ‘ Quite willing,’ said the Queen, ‘ for I feel 
I shall die soon, and a motherless child might 
be worse off than under your care.’ 

“ The old fairy, having obtained this pro¬ 
mise, then touched the Queen with her wand and 
cured her of her illness. My mother called her 
ladies and asked them to dress her at once, as 
she was going to call at the enchanted palace. 

178 


THE WHITE CAT 

At first they thought she was delirious, but 
finding they were mistaken, they dressed her, 
and she followed the old fairy. They entered 
the castle (the one in which we now are), and 
two fairies received them and bade the Queen 
welcome. They asked her if she wished the 
different fruits to come to her of their own 
accord, and my mother said she would like to 
see such an extraordinary sight. 

“ The old woman whistled three times, then 
called : ‘ Apricots, peaches, cherries, plums, 
pears, melons, apples, oranges, gooseberries, 
raspberries, come here ! ’ 

“ ‘ But,’ said the Queen, ‘ these fruits ripen 
at different seasons ! ’ 

“ * Not so, here,’ replied the two fairies. 

“ There and then the fruits arrived pell-mell, 
neither bruising nor soiling themselves. After¬ 
ward the Queen went into the garden, where 
she spent three days and three nights gathering 
store for the winter, and as none of the fruits 
ever spoiled, she had four thousand mules 
loaded with them to send home. 

“ When my mother left, the fairies promised 
179 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
her that they would give me the education 
needed for my rank as a Princess, and that they 
would invite her to my wedding when they 
should have found me a suitable husband. 

cc The King was delighted to have my mother 
back, and greatly enjoyed eating the splendid 
fruit. He did not know of the strange promise 
my mother had made to the fairies, neither did 
she tell him exactly where she had been. 

“As the time when I was expected drew near, 
the Queen became very low-spirited, and deeply 
regretted her promise. At last she told the 
King all about it. He reproached her very 
severely for her foolishness, and then put her 
in a room in a tower, with guards all round 
it, to prevent her from giving away the litde 
daughter, and he got nurses to take care of me 
night and day in his own palace. 

“ The fairies sent to fetch me, as they had 
arranged, but the escort were ugly little dwarfs, 
whom the King did not even receive civilly. 
The fairies were terribly angry, and after having 
sent every imaginable plague into his six king¬ 
doms, they let loose their horrible dragon, 
180 


THE WHITE CAT 

which ate men, women, and children, and killed 
all the plants with its scorching breath. 

“ In vain the King consulted all the wise 
men and the magicians; none of them could 
help him. At last he went to ask advice from 
an old fairy whom he knew. She told him to 
give me to the fairies as had been promised, 
and to pardon the Queen and set her at liberty, 
telling him that by doing so he would avert 
further evils, and would bring prosperity to his 
subjects. The King found this very hard, as 
he loved his little daughter, but at last con¬ 
sented, to save his people from greater disasters. 

“ It was arranged that, eight days later, he 
and my mother would take me in my cradle to 
the mountain of flowers, half-way between their 
palace and that of the fairies, and that they 
should wait there till the fairies came to fetch 
me. 

“ The Queen was pardoned, and with the 
King she arranged for the ceremony to take 
place with due respect to my rank. 

“ My cradle was made of mother-of-pearl. 
It was put on a light hand-barrow made of gold, 
181 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
and twenty-four Princesses of the royal blood 
were appointed to carry it. The whole of the 
ladies and gentlemen of the Court accompanied 
me. 

“ While they were carrying me up the flower- 
mountain there was a sudden burst of music, 
heralding the arrival of the fairies. There were 
thirty-six of them, all very old and very ugly. 
Each held an olive branch in her hand as a 
sign of peace. They were followed by the 
dragon which had been sent before to avenge 
them when my father had refused to give me 
up. The monster was led by a chain of dia¬ 
monds attached to its neck. 

“ The thirty-six fairies almost smothered me 
with kisses; then they began their fairy-reel, 
which is a very merry dance round a circle 
made on the ground. Afterward the dragon 
came forward, and the three fairies to whom 
my mother had promised me seated themselves 
on its back, holding my cradle on their knees. 
The dragon spread out his great scaly wings, 
as fine as silk crape, and sped off through the 
air to the fairy palace. 

182 


THE WHITE CAT 

“ When my mother saw me on the dragon 
she shrieked aloud for fear, but my father did 
all he could to console her. 

“ My fairy guardians had built a tower for 
my own use, with handsome rooms, luxurious 
furniture, and interesting books; but the rooms 
had no doors, every one being entered by the 
windows, which were terribly high up. On the 
top of the tower, however, there was a beautiful 
garden. 

“ The fairies brought me up very well, and 
always dressed me in beautiful clothes. They 
had me taught everything that a Princess of my 
age could learn, and always came on the dragon 
to visit me. I believed myself to be their own 
child. No one stayed with me in the tower, 
but I had a parrot and a lap-dog which kept me 
company, for they were endowed with reason 
and also with speech. 

“ One side of the tower looked over a road 
where I had never once seen anyone walking 
or driving, so I was immensely surprised one 
day, when, talking to my companions near the 
window, I looked out and saw a handsome young 
183 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
knight, who seemed to have overheard our 
conversation. He made me a low bow; then, 
as night was falling, he departed, after having 
sounded his bugle to my great delight. 

“ Next morning I ran to my window, and 
was overjoyed to see him again. He had a 
speaking-trumpet which enabled me to hear all 
he said, but I dared not answer back for fear 
of being heard by the fairies; however, I threw 
him some flowers, for which he thanked me. 
Then he said : 

“ ‘ If you are willing to let me come every 
morning at this hour to talk to you a little, 
please throw something down, and I shall know 
that you consent.’ I took my turquoise ring 
from my finger and dropped it down to him, 
signing quickly to him to go away, as I heard 
the fairy called Violence coming with my break¬ 
fast. As soon as she dismounted from the 
dragon she exclaimed : 

“ ‘ I smell a man’s voice here ! Search, 
dragon ! ’ 

“ I trembled with fear. 

Has a voice a smell, dear Madam ? And 
184 


cc c 


THE WHITE CAT 

what mortal would dare to climb up here ? ’ 
I asked. 

“ Violence made no answer, but when I had 
taken my breakfast she handed me my distaff, 
and said: 

“ * Having eaten, you must now get some 
work done. You did nothing at all yesterday.’ 

“ As soon as she had gone, I threw down my 
distaff, and went up to the roof-garden. I had 
a very good field-glass, and in the distance I 
saw the young knight resting under a pavilion 
of cloth of gold. He was surrounded by a great 
train of followers. I feared that, if he returned 
to the tower, he might be discovered by the 
dragon, so I told my parrot to fly to him, tell 
him of his danger, and say I did not wish him 
to come back. 

“ The parrot delivered my message correctly, 
and the King (for such he was) gave her a 
message for me and entrusted her with a ring, 
which she carried in her claw, and a tiny portrait 
of himself, which he tied under her wing. 

“ I awaited the return of my little courier 
with great impatience. When she arrived, she 

185 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
told me from the King that he was much too 
brave to give up his visits on account of the 
danger to himself, but that he would continue 
to come whenever there was a favourable oppor¬ 
tunity. I began to weep, as I feared what the 
dragon might do, and to console me Poll gave 
me the ring, which was a very much handsomer 
one than the turquoise ring I had thrown down; 
then she lifted her wing, and I undid the string, 
and took the royal portrait, which I slipped 
inside my dress, and whenever I was very lonely 
I brought it out to gaze on it. 

“ With so many new thoughts, some pleasant, 
some sad, I began to feel restless and excited. 
The fairies imagined that I was weary of living 
alone, and they began to search for a husband 
for me, and they chose the dwarf King Migonnet, 
whose mind was as crooked as his body. His 
cruel disposition and violent temper made him 
dreaded by everyone near him. The parrot, 
who overheard them talking about it, came 
flying to me and said : 

“ * Oh ! how sorry I shall be for you, my 
dear mistress, if you have to marry that horrid 
186 


THE WHITE CAT 

little Migonnet. The little monster terrifies me 
even to look at him ! I know him only too well, 
because I was reared on the same branch as 
he, for he has eagle’s claws instead of feet! ’ 

“ I was distracted with grief, and determined 
to die rather than marry Migonnet. 

“ In the morning my little dog, whose scent 
is very keen, told me that the King was at the 
bottom of the tower. I ran to the window, and 
through his trumpet he begged me to find some 
means of leaving the tower, or of letting him 
enter, as he wanted to marry me, and then I 
should be the greatest Queen in the world. 

“ I sent the parrot to tell him that what he 
asked was almost impossible, but that I would 
do my very best, if only he would not come 
daily, as the fairies would have no mercy. 

“ The King went away delighted, but I was 
terribly distressed, thinking of what I had 
promised to do. I could find no means of 
leaving the tower, and again I sent my parrot 
to tell him so, and he was ready to die with 
grief. 

“ My sadness increased daily and I wept the 
187 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
greater part of my time. Fairy Violence noticed 
my red eyes, and told me that if I did not tell 
her why I wept so much, she would burn me. 
I told her that I was weary of spinning, and 
that I wanted little nets to catch the birds 
which were destroying the fruits in the garden. 
She brought me pieces of cord to make the 
nets, and at the same time she told me to 
dress to receive King Migonnet, who would 
arrive presently. 

“ As soon as she had gone I hastened to 
make a ladder of the cords, and I sent the parrot 
to tell the King that I wanted him to come to 
the tower that night and to stand just beneath 
my window. I fastened the ladder firmly to 
the iron bar of the window, and prepared to 
descend, but before I could get out the King 
had mounted it and come into the room. I was 
so delighted to see him that I forgot all about 
the danger. He asked me to marry him, and 
we took the parrot and the dog as witnesses. 
Never before were people of such high rank 
married with so little ceremony. 

“ I told the King of the marriage the fairies 
188 


THE WHITE CAT 

had arranged for me with Migonnet, and I 
described his appearance, which horrified the 
King as much as it had done myself. 

“ It was night when he left, and shortly 
after his departure I saw, coming through the 
air, a fiery chariot drawn by winged salamanders 
and escorted by guards mounted on ostriches. 

“ A few minutes later Violence made her 
appearance in my room. 

“ * Your intended husband has arrived,’ said 
she. * Prepare to receive him.’ 

“ * Who told you that I wanted a husband ? ’ 
I cried. ‘ Send King Migonnet home. I shall 
never be his wife.’ 

“ * Oh, indeed ! ’ said the fairy. ‘ But you 
must understand, you little rebel, that I am in 
no mood for joking, and I shall-’ 

“ ‘ What will you do ? ’ said I, in despera¬ 
tion. * Can you make my life more miserable 
than it already is, shut up as I am in this tower, 
with only my parrot and my lap-dog ? ’ 

“ * You are an ungrateful little wretch ! ’ said 
Violence. Then she went off to report our 
quarrel to her sisters. 

189 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Both my parrot and my lap-dog scolded 
me for being so impudent, and begged me to 
conciliate the fairies by meekness and patience; 
but I would not listen to them. 

“ My interview with Migonnet took place on 
the roof-garden. He was very short, his legs 
were without bones, his feet were like eagle’s 
claws, and he had to walk on both his knees and 
his feet at the same time, supporting the weight 
of his heavy, shapeless body on crutches. His 
head was enormous, and his red nose was so 
big and thick that a dozen birds could sit on it. 
His beard was so bushy that several canaries 
made their nests in it, and his long ears stood 
half a yard above his head. The flame of his 
chariot roasted the apples as he passed, and 
dried up the water in my little garden. He 
came forward to kiss me, but I fled down to 
my room and shut both the door and the 
windows, and Migonnet returned to the fairies 
in great wrath. 

“ The fairies begged his pardon, and under¬ 
took to tie my feet and hands while I was asleep, 
and to put me in his fiery chariot, so that he 
190 


THE WHITE CAT 

could fly away with me. They did not scold 
me, but behaved so kindly that both of my pets 
were suspicious and warned me to beware of 
them; but I paid no attention to the warnings. 
I put out the ladder for my husband, as I had 
done before. He came up and entered the room, 
closing the window behind him, and we began 
to talk happily together, when, all of a sudden, 
my windows were burst open. Through one 
came the fairies on their dragon, and through 
the other came Migonnet in his fiery chariot. 

“ My husband the King, forgetful of his own 
safety, drew his sword to protect me, but the 
dragon killed him with his breath and swallowed 
him up before my eyes. In utter despair I 
rushed forward to the monster’s fearful mouth, 
hoping he would devour me, but the cruel 
fairies held me back, crying : 

“ ‘ No! Death is too good for such a 
wretch ! ’ 

“ They touched me with their wand and I 
became a white cat. They brought me to this 
palace, and changed all the great lords and 
ladies of my father’s kingdom into cats, except 
191 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
those who were in office at the Court. These 
they rendered invisible, all but their hands. 

“ They told me all about my rank and the 
incidents connected with my birth; also that 
both my father and my mother were dead. 
Then they told me that I should not get rid 
of my feline shape till I found a Prince resem¬ 
bling my dead husband who would be willing 
to deliver me. You, my Prince, are the image 
of him, and my miseries are ended ! ” 

White Puss, now a great Queen, seated her¬ 
self in a magnificent chariot, our young Prince 
by her side, and they set out for the palace, 
where the brothers of the Prince were already 
waiting. As the chariot neared the palace the 
Queen hid herself in a piece of rock crystal. 

When they arrived at the palace, the two 
elder Princes were walking in the palace grounds 
with two very beautiful Princesses whom they 
had brought to show to the King. They asked 
their brother what the lady he brought was like. 
He said he had seen no beauties, so he only 
brought a little white cat. At this they burst 
out laughing. 


192 


THE WHITE CAT 
The King welcomed the two Princes and 
their Princesses, whom he thought so beautiful 
that he could not decide which one should have 
the prize. He looked at the youngest, and said : 
“ So you come alone this time ! ” 

“ Your Majesty,” replied the Prince, “ will 
find in this piece of rock crystal a little white 
cat which mews so sweetly that I am sure it will 
please you.” 

The King advanced toward the lump of 
crystal, but at the same moment the Queen 
touched a spring inside it, the crystal fell apart, 
and she stepped out, like the sun from behind 
clouds, her golden hair hanging in long curls 
to her feet, and her white gauze robe girdled 
with flowers. At the sight, the King exclaimed 
with enthusiasm : 

“ This is she who has won the Crown ! ” 

“ Sire,” said the Queen, “ I cannot deprive 
you of a throne which you occupy so worthily. 
I have six kingdoms of my own. Allow me to 
offer you one of them, and to give one each to 
your two elder sons. In exchange for these 
three kingdoms, I would ask for your friendship, 
193 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
and for the hand of your youngest son as my 
husband.” 

The King bowed gracefully, while his cour¬ 
tiers cheered this speech to the echo. 

The marriages of all three sons were cele¬ 
brated at once with great pomp and amid 
general good-will; then the three couples set off, 
each to govern their own realm. As for the 
beautiful White Cat, she has been immortlized 
as much for her generous heart as for her 
learning and her beauty. 


194 



PRINCE DARLING 


T HERE was once a King who was so just 
and so kind that his people surnamed him 
cc the Good.” One day when he was out 
hunting, a little rabbit, fleeing from the hounds, 
jumped right into his arms. The King shel¬ 
tered the little trembling creature under his 
coat, saying to himself: “ It came to me for 
safety; I must protect it.” He carried the 
rabbit home to the palace, got a pretty little 
rabbit-hutch made for it, and gave orders that 
it was to be well fed and attended to. 

During the night, when he was alone, he 
was astonished to find a beautiful lady standing 
before him, and he felt puzzled to know how she 
had come, as the door of his room was closed. 
She was dressed very simply, having neither 
195 



FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
gold nor silver embroidery, nor any jewels, but 
her soft robe was as white as snow, and her 
lovely hair was crowned with white roses, shed¬ 
ding a delicate perfume all around. 

While the King looked in silent amazement, 
his fair visitor addressed him : 

“ I am Fairy Candour. I was in the 
wood when you were hunting and wished to 
find out for myself whether you are as kind- 
hearted as people say you are. I therefore 
assumed the form of a rabbit, and took refuge 
in your arms, for I know that those who have 
pity in their hearts for a dumb animal have even 
more for their brother man, and if you had not 
sheltered me I should have known you were a 
hypocrite. 

“ I have come to thank you for your pro¬ 
tection, and to tell you that under all circum¬ 
stances you can rely on me as a friend, and now 
you have only to ask what you wish; if it is at 
all possible, I shall give it you.” 

“ Madam,” said the good King, “ since you 
are a fairy, you know all that I wish. I have 
only one son, whom I love with all my heart, so 
196 


PRINCE DARLING 

that people generally name him Prince Darling. 
If you wish to do me a kindness, promise me to 
be a good friend to my boy.” 

“ With all my heart I promise you that,” 
said the fairy. “ I can make your son grow up 
either the handsomest prince in the world, or 
the richest, or the most powerful; choose which 
you would prefer him to be.” 

“ I do not specially desire any of these great 
gifts for my son,” said the King, “ but I should 
greatly like him to be the best Prince ever known. 
Of what use would good looks, riches or great 
kingdoms be to him, if he were a bad man ? 
You know as well as I that he could be miserable 
with all these advantages, and that goodness 
alone can ever bring happiness.” 

“ You are quite right there,” said Candour, 
“ but even I cannot make your son a good man 
unless he himself wishes to be good, and will 
strive himself to be so. All that I can promise 
is to watch over him, to give him good advice, 
to point out his faults to him, and even to punish 
him if he does not try to correct himself of them 
and learn to deny himself.” 

197 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

The good King was quite pleased with the 
fairy’s promise. He did not live long after, 
but he died quite happy, knowing that his 
son had such a good kind friend as Fairy 
Candour. 

Prince Darling was inconsolable. He loved 
his father dearly, and would willingly have given 
all he possessed to save his life, had that been 
possible. 

Two days after the death of the good King, 
when Prince Darling had gone to bed, Candour 
suddenly appeared to him. 

“ I promised your father,” said she, cc to be 
a good friend to you, and in order to keep my 
word I have come to make you a present.” 

At the same time she put a small gold ring 
on his finger, saying to him : 

“ Take good care of this ring; it is much 
more precious than diamonds. Every time you 
do anything wrong, it will prick your finger, but 
if in spite of the prick you continue the wrong 
action, you will lose my friendship and make 
me your enemy.” 

When she finished this speech, she dis- 
198 


PRINCE DARLING 
appeared, leaving Prince Darling greatly aston¬ 
ished. 

For a considerable time the Prince behaved 
so well that the ring never once needed to prick 
him, and he was so well pleased with himself 
that he was always smiling. This made people 
add ‘ Happy ’ to his name * Darling.’ 

Some months later the young Prince went 
hunting, but came back without having caught 
anything. This annoyed him and put him in 
a bad humour. He imagined, for a moment, 
that the ring pressed him a little, but as it did 
not actually prick him he hardly noticed it. As 
he entered his room, his little dog Flora came 
jumping to welcome him, wanting to lick his 
hand. 

“ Get out of my way,” said he crossly. “ I 
can’t be bothered with you just now.” 

The little creature did not understand, but 
tugged at his coat to draw his attention. In his 
ill-temper the Prince lifted his foot and kicked 
her out of his way. The ring pricked him 
sharply, as if it had been a pin. This made him 
think of his conduct, and feeling both annoyed 
199 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
and ashamed, he sat down sulkily in the darkest 
corner of the room. It was a new and a dis¬ 
agreeable experience for him to be found fault 
with. He said to himself: 

“ Really, my fairy friend is making a fool of 
me! What wrong is there in giving a kick to 
an animal that is pestering me ? What is the 
use of being master of a great empire, when I 
am not at liberty to beat my dog if I like ? ” 

“ I am not making a fool of you,” said a voice, 
replying to the Prince’s thoughts. “You have 
committed three faults instead of one. You let 
yourself get cross because you did not have 
what you wanted, and because you think both 
men and animals are made only for your pleasure. 
You flew into a passion, which is very wrong, 
and in your passion you were cruel to a little 
animal that had done nothing to deserve such 
treatment. I know that you are greatly the 
superior of a dog, but if it is to be accepted that 
the great and powerful can tyrannize over those 
who are beneath them, I might either flog you 
or kill you, as a fairy is vastly more powerful 
than a man. The real advantage of being 
200 


PRINCE DARLING 
master over a great empire does not consist in 
having power to do all the wrong you care to 
do, but the power to do all the good you can.” 

Prince Darling saw his fault, and felt sorry 
for a little while. He promised to try to correct 
his own bad temper, but he soon forgot. Un¬ 
fortunately his mother had died when he was 
very little, and he had been brought up by a 
very foolish old nurse, who let him have his own 
way in everything. When he wanted anything 
he had only to cry or fly into a passion, stamping 
his feet or yelling at the top of his voice. The 
stupid woman gave him what he wanted to 
pacify him, and it made him very obstinate and 
self-willed. She told him daily that soon he 
would be a great King, and that all Kings were 
happy because they could get everything they 
wanted, as everyone had to obey them and 
respect them, and no one could prevent a King 
from doing what he liked. 

When he grew big enough to understand, he 
quite recognized how wrong these ideas were, 
and he saw that nothing was so ignoble as pride, 
vanity, and obstinacy. He really made many 
201 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
efforts to correct himself, but these bad habits 
had become almost part of his nature, and 
nothing is so difficult to cure as a bad habit 
learned when young. His heart was not natur¬ 
ally bad or cruel, and sometimes he shed tears 
as he said to himself: 

“ I am very unfortunate. I have to fight my 
own pride and my own temper every day, and 
yet they get the better of me. If I had been 
corrected when I was young, it would have been 
better for me to-day.” 

His ring pricked him many a time. Some¬ 
times he attended to the warning at once, some¬ 
times he paid no heed, but continued his wrong 
course. The strange thing was that for a slight 
fault the ring gave a very tiny prick, but for a 
grave fault it pricked firmly till the finger bled. 
At last he lost patience, and making up his mind 
to do as he liked without restraint, he drew off 
the ring and threw it away. 

He felt greatly relieved when he had no more 
pricking to worry him, and believed himself to 
be enjoying life for the first time. He spent 
his whole time in idle amusements, and even in 
202 


PRINCE DARLING 

wrongdoing from which he would have shrunk 
when younger, and at last he behaved so badly 
that no nice people liked to be in his company. 

One day when the Prince was out for an 
airing he saw a girl who was so beautiful that 
he determined to marry her. Her name was 
Zelia, and she was as well-behaved as she was 
good-looking, but she was of very humble birth. 

The Prince thought Zelia would be only too 
glad to marry him and become a real Queen, so 
he asked her at once to be his wife, but the young 
girl answered him with great frankness : 

“ Sire, I am only a peasant girl, without 
fortune, but though I had a fortune I would not 
marry you.” 

“ Am I so displeasing to look at ? ” asked 
he, a little hurt. 

“ No, Sire,” replied Zelia; “ you appear to 
me just what you are, a very handsome man. 
But of what use would your good looks, your 
wealth, or the fine clothes and grand coaches 
you promise, be to me, if your daily behaviour 
forced me to despise you and hate you ? ” 

The Prince was very angry at this plain 
203 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
speaking, and ordered his officers to take Zelia 
by force to the palace. The young girl’s con¬ 
tempt for him rankled in his mind all day, but 
he was so much in love with her that he could 
not bring himself to ill-treat her. 

Among the favourites of Prince Darling was 
a foster-brother, who shared all his secrets. He 
was a bad man, brought up among people of 
low tastes. He kept himself in the Prince’s 
favour by flattering him and encouraging his 
evil habits. As he saw that the Prince looked 
sad, he asked him the cause. The Prince told 
him that he was hurt by the contempt Zelia 
had shown him, for he knew he had deserved it, 
and he had just made up his mind to change his 
manner of living, as he felt he could never win 
Zelia’s love unless he became a good man. 

“ You would change your ways because of 
the opinion of a country girl! You are surely 
very kind! ” sneered the foster-brother. “ If I 
were in your place, I should soon teach her her 
proper place. Have you forgotten what is due 
to your rank as King, and how humiliating it 
would be for you to be ruled by the opinions of a 
204 


PRINCE DARLING 

mere peasant who ought to be proud to be one of 
your slaves ? Shut her up. Give her nothing 
but bread and water, and if that does not bring 
her to her senses, torture her to death, as a 
lesson to everyone who disobeys you. You 
would be disgraced for ever if people thought 
a girl could resist you, and your subjects 
would forget that they only exist for your 
pleasure.” 

“ But,” replied the Prince, “ should I not 
be still more disgraced if I were to cause the 
death of an innocent girl ? For, after all, Zelia 
has done nothing wrong.” 

“ No one is innocent who refuses to do your 
bidding,” said this false man; “ but it would 
be better for you to be accused of injustice than 
to be looked on as a contemptible weakling 
whom your subjects may despise or contradict 
when they like.” 

The flatterer had touched the Prince on his 
weakest side, for he was vain and proud of his 
power, so the fear of losing his authority made 
him listen to this bad advice and stifle his 
desire to be a better man. 

205 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

The foster-brother saw that he had shaken 
the Prince’s resolution, and in order to follow 
up the advantage he had gained, he got three 
of the worst of the Prince’s bad companions to 
come to sup with him that evening. They put 
a drug in the Prince’s wine, knowing that it 
would madden him; then they twitted him with 
being under the thumb of an ignorant country- 
girl, who could snap her fingers at him when 
she chose. 

The Prince, no longer master of himself, 
rose and swore he would be revenged; then, 
with his drunken companions, he staggered off 
toward Zelia’s room, of which he had the key. 
He unlocked the door, and with derisive oaths 
they all reeled in, to find the room empty!— 
Zelia was not there ! 

The Prince’s anger knew no bounds. He 
vowed that he would severely punish anyone 
who could even be suspected of having helped 
Zelia to escape. His companions, hearing what 
he said, determined to seize the opportunity to 
ruin Suliman, the Prince’s former tutor, whom 
they hated and feared because he was good and 
206 


PRINCE DARLING 

just, and had tried to persuade the Prince to 
give up his bad habits. 

Suliman loved the Prince sincerely, and at 
first Darling had taken his advice, but latterly 
he had resented it, and banished the good tutor 
from the Court. 

The Prince, nevertheless, respected Suliman 
in his heart, and was often heard to speak of him 
as a good, just man, though he did not wish his 
interference, and would not have him near the 
palace. 

The bad companions had always feared that 
Darling might change his mind and recall Suli¬ 
man, so they now invented a story to the effect 
that some people had heard Suliman boast that 
he would let Zelia out of the room where she 
was imprisoned. This story they told to the 
Prince, who at first could hardly believe it, but 
they bribed three other bad men to swear they 
had heard Suliman say so. On hearing this, 
the Prince was beside himself with rage, and 
ordered his foster-brother to send soldiers to 
bring Suliman to the palace in chains like a 
criminal. 


207 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

After giving this order, Prince Darling re¬ 
tired to his room to brood over his loss. 

As he entered, a terrible peal of thunder 
shook the palace to its foundations, and he felt 
the ground trembling beneath him; then the 
Fairy Candour appeared. In a severe voice she 
said: 

“ I promised your father to give you good 
advice, and to chastise you if you refused to 
follow it. You have chosen to despise my 
warnings and to act contrary to my advice. As 
a consequence you have destroyed your man¬ 
hood, and have nothing left but the outward 
form of a man. Your evil deeds have changed 
you into a monster, abhorred by both heaven 
and earth. It is time for me to fulfil my promise 
by meting out your punishment. I shall now 
take from you even the semblance of a man, and 
you shall become like the beasts whose habits 
you have acquired. You have been like a lion 
in fury, a wolf in greed, a serpent in ingratitude, 
and a bull in brutality. In your new form I 
condemn you to bear a resemblance to all these 
animals.” 


208 


PRINCE DARLING 

Candour had hardly finished speaking when 
the Prince found, with horror, that he had taken 
the form she described. He had the head of a 
lion, the horns of a bull, the legs of a wolf, and 
the tail of a serpent. He found himself in a 
great forest, beside a clear stream in which he 
saw the reflection of his horrible appearance, 
and he heard a voice from above him saying : 

“ Look at yourself and consider carefully 
the state to which your vices have brought you; 
then remember that your soul is a thousand times 
more frightful than your body.” 

Darling recognized the voice of Candour, and 
in a burst of fury he turned to rush at her and 
devour her, but no one was to be seen, and the 
voice continued: 

“ Your rage and your evil intentions are 
powerless to disturb me. Your pride needs still 
to be humbled, so I am going to put you under 
the power of your own subjects.” 

Darling turned from the fountain which 
showed him his horrible form so plainly, and 
thought he would hide himself in the wood, but 
he fell into a hole which had been dug to trap 
209 0 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
bears. Some hunters who were hiding in the 
branches of a tree came down, and, having 
chained him, led him to his own capital city. 
On the way, instead of being sorry for the 
conduct which had brought him to such a pass, 
he cursed the fairy in his heart, bit his chains, 
and gave himself over to fury. 

As he and his captors neared the city they 
noticed that some great event was being cele¬ 
brated. The hunters asked some passers-by 
what it meant. They replied : 

“ The people are rejoicing because Prince 
Darling, who treated his subjects so badly, has 
been killed in his room by a thunderbolt.” For 
such was the popular belief. “ The gods,” they 
added, “ could no longer endure his crimes and 
his wickedness, so they have rid the earth of him. 
Four great lords, who were his companions in 
vice, made an attempt to seize the throne and 
share the kingdom between them, but the people, 
knowing that it was they who had ruined their 
King, set upon them and killed them. The good 
lord Suliman, whom the Prince had condemned 
to death, has been crowned King, and the event 
210 


PRINCE DARLING 

is being celebrated as a National Deliverance, for 
Suliman is a good man, and will restore peace 
and plenty to our country.” 

Darling felt ready to burst with rage when 
he heard all this, but he had a greater trial to 
face when they arrived at the great square in 
front of the palace, where, on a superb throne, 
sat Suliman, surrounded by crowds who shouted 
loudly: 

“ Long live King Suliman ! May he have 
many years of happiness to enable him to repair 
the evil wrought by his predecessor ! ” 

Suliman stood up and made a sign with his 
hand to the noisy multitude, who immediately 
disposed themselves to listen in silent respect. 
Then he said: 

“ I accept the Crown you offer me for the 
time being, but I do so to preserve it for your 
rightful King, my former pupil, Prince Darling. 
He is not dead, as you suppose. A fairy has 
told me this, and perhaps you and I may yet 
have the pleasure of seeing him turn from his 
evil ways and become again the good, kind man 
that nature intended him to be. Alas ! he was 
211 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
led astray by flatterers. I knew him well, and 
his heart was good. He would have been a 
father to his subjects had it not been for those 
who were around him, who poisoned his mind 
with evil thoughts and set him a bad example. 
You and I must hate his vices, but we must be 
sorry for him and pray that he may repent of 
his wrongdoing, and may be restored to his 
right mind. For myself I should be only too 
happy if, by shedding my blood, I could see him 
again on the throne, with the good character 
and good desires which would enable him to 
reign worthily.” 

This speech cut Darling to the heart. He 
saw clearly how sincere and how faithful this 
good man’s friendship had been, and, for the 
first time, he saw clearly how wicked his own 
conduct had been, and blamed himself for the 
misfortune that had come upon him. As soon 
as this better mood began, his fury was calmed, 
and he began to reflect on the many wrong 
things he had done. His shame was great, and 
he confessed to himself that he had deserved 
an even greater punishment than had been laid 
212 


PRINCE DARLING 
on him. He ceased struggling to get out of the 
iron cage in which he was now chained, and 
became as quiet as a lamb. His captors took him 
to a great building where all the wild animals 
and monstrous creatures were kept, and they 
chained him in one of the compartments. 

Darling resolved to begin to mend his ways 
at once, and his first step in the right direction 
was taken when he became quite docile and 
obedient to his keeper. The man was a brutal 
bully who beat the creatures under his care 
without rhyme or reason whenever he was in a 
bad temper, and Darling’s gentleness did not 
save him from many a cruel blow. One day, 
when the fellow had fallen asleep, a tiger broke 
its chain and sprang on him to tear him to pieces. 
For a moment Darling was tempted to rejoice 
that the tiger was going to rid him of his perse¬ 
cutor, but next moment a feeling of pity for the 
unfortunate wretch made him wish he could 
free himself to go to his assistance—he wished to 
render good for evil, by saving the keeper’s life. 

Just as the desire arose, Darling found his 
cage was open. He flew to the assistance of the 
213 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
man who was struggling to defend himself 
against the tiger. The wretched man thought 
his last hour had come when this other monster 
bounded toward him, but his fear was changed to 
joy when he saw it strangle the tiger and then 
come to lie down at his own feet. The man 
was filled with gratitude, and was bending over 
to pat the head of the monster which had saved 
his life, when he heard a voice saying : 

“ No good action goes without its reward.” 

At the same time he found there was no 
monster to be caressed, but in its stead a very 
handsome little dog, which licked the hand 
stretched out to pat him. 

Darling was delighted with this new change 
of form, and gambolled joyfully round the 
keeper, who lifted the dog in his arms and 
carried him to the King, to whom he told the 
wonderful story. 

The Queen was so delighted with the beauti¬ 
ful dog that she kept it as a pet, and it accom¬ 
panied her everywhere, carried on a silk cushion 
by her favourite page. Darling might have 
thought himself very fortunate if he could only 
214 


PRINCE DARLING 
have forgotten that he ought not to be a dog, 
but that he should be a man and a king ! 

The Queen, who fondled him, often began 
to fear that he would grow too fat, so she con¬ 
sulted the most learned doctors of the Court on 
this subject. These gentlemen produced weighty 
books and ancient parchments to prove that dogs 
thrive best on a spare diet of bread and water, 
and as the Queen followed this advice rather 
too strictly, poor Darling felt ready to die of 
hunger the half of his time, but he told himself 
he must learn to be patient. 

One morning, when he got his little roll of 
bread for his breakfast, he carried it in his mouth 
to the garden of the palace to eat it near a brook 
which he remembered. 

The brook was no longer there, but in his 
search for it he came to a great house whose 
walls sparkled with gold and precious stones. 
Crowds of magnificently dressed men and 
women were going into it, and they all appeared 
to be gay, for there were sounds of music and 
dancing coming from all the brightly lighted 
windows; but what seemed strange indeed was 
215 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
that those who came out from it were thin, 
pale, and covered with hideous-looking boils and 
sores, while they had only a few filthy rags to 
cover themselves with. Some, indeed, fell dead 
on the threshold as they came out, having no 
strength to crawl farther. Some went a little 
way, then lay down to die of hunger, begging 
for a crust of bread from the gay crowds who 
were flocking to the house, but none in these 
crowds even looked at them as they passed. 

Darling saw a young girl trying to pull up 
some grass to eat to satisfy her hunger. He 
went toward her, saying to himself: 

“ I am hungry, but I am not dying of hunger. 
I can wait till dinner-time, and perhaps my roll 
will save this girl’s life.” 

He held out the roll to her. She snatched 
it from him and ate it greedily. It seemed to 
renew her strength, and Darling, delighted to 
have been in time to save her, turned and began 
to walk back toward the palace. 

On the way he heard a woman’s voice calling 
for help. It seemed to be Zelia, who was being 
dragged by four men who wanted to force her 
216 


PRINCE DARLING 

to go into the brightly lighted house. At that 
moment Darling regretted having lost his mon¬ 
ster form, for he thought it would have enabled 
him to terrify these bad men. 

“ What can a poor little dog do to help her ? ” 
he asked himself in great distress; but he did his 
best by barking and trying to bite the heels of 
the girl’s captors. They kicked him out of their 
way, but he returned to the attack repeatedly, 
till one kick seemed to blind him for a while, 
and he lost sight of them. 

His heart was torn with remorse as he told 
himself that, but for his own wickedness in 
imprisoning Zelia, she would not have been in 
the hands of these bad men. 

Suddenly Darling heard the sound of a 
window opening, and his joy was great when he 
saw a maiden, who resembled Zelia, throw 
him a plateful of good roast beef and close the 
casement quickly. As Darling was very hungry 
he bounded forward to take some of the meat, 
when the girl to whom he had given his roll that 
morning came up and called him to her. Lifting 
him in her arms, she said : 

217 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Poor little animal, you must not touch any 
food coming from that house. It is poisoned 
and would kill you. That is the palace of the 
terrible fairy Self-Indulgence, who poisons every¬ 
one who enters her domains.” 

Then Darling heard a voice saying, as before : 
“ No good action goes without its reward,” 
and at the same moment he found himself 
changed into a beautiful white dove. He re¬ 
membered that white was the favourite colour 
of Candour, and he began to hope that in the 
end she would restore him to his original form. 

His first desire was to find out what had 
become of Zelia, so he spread his wings and 
flew all round the house. Seeing an open 
window, he flew in and looked everywhere; 
but Zelia was not there. He was terribly 
grieved, but determined to fly to the end of the 
earth, if necessary, in order to find her. He 
sped on for several days without stopping, until, 
when crossing a desert, he noticed the mouth 
of a cave. Flying low, he entered this cave, 
where to his great delight he found Zelia sitting 
beside a hermit and sharing his frugal meal of 
218 


PRINCE DARLING 
ripe fruit. Darling perched on her shoulder and 
rubbed his soft head against her neck and face, 
cooing all the time to show her how pleased he 
was. 

Zelia was charmed with the gentle little dove, 
and stroked its soft feathers with her hand. 
At the same time she spoke to it, though she 
did not know that it could understand her words. 
She told it that she accepted the gift of itself, 
which it had made to her, and that she would 
love and cherish it as long as she lived. 

“ What have you done, Zelia ? ” said the 
hermit. “ Do you know that you have just 
plighted your troth ? ” 

“ Yes, my dear girl,” said Prince Darling, 
who at that moment regained the power of 
speech, “ the spell of my enchantment cannot be 
broken till you say you are willing to marry me. 
You have just promised me to love me always. 
I ask you to assure my happiness by consenting 
to our union, and I shall beg Fairy Candour, 
my protectress, to give me back the form which 
was mine when I was fortunate enough to hear 
you say my appearance pleased you.” 

219 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

The Prince had barely uttered these words 
when his own proper shape was restored. 

“ You need not fear that Zelia will be fickle,” 
said Candour, throwing off the hermit’s form 
in which she had disguised herself. “ Zelia 
loved you whenever she saw you, but she knew 
that your character did not correspond with 
your appearance, and although only a poor girl 
she was too well brought up to marry a bad man. 
Your better nature has now reasserted itself, 
and she sees you now as Nature intended you 
to be, a good man as well as a good-looking one. 
On that sure foundation your marriage will be 
happy.” 

Both Zelia and Prince Darling threw them¬ 
selves at the fairy’s feet, to thank her for her 
protecting kindness, and for the punishment 
that had brought the Prince to his senses. Zelia 
joyfully gave her promise, and Fairy Candour 
herself married them there and then, while they 
knelt at her feet. She finished by saying : 

“ Rise up, my children. I shall now take 
you to the palace, that Prince Darling may 
ascend the throne of which he is now worthy.” 

220 


PRINCE DARLING 
When Candour finished speaking Prince Dar¬ 
ling and Princess Zelia found themselves in the 
throne-room in the presence of Suliman. This 
good man himself rose and seated the Prince on 
his father’s throne, and crowned him King; he 
then was the first of Darling’s faithful subjects 
to kneel and swear loyalty to him. 

Darling and Zelia reigned long and happily, 
and the young King never again needed to be 
reminded of ill-doing by the pricking of the 
fairy’s ring. 


221 














LJL 


GOLDENLOCKS 

NCE there was a King whose only 
daughter was so beautiful that there was 



Vy no one in the world fit to compare with 
her. Her exquisitely graceful figure and lovely 
face were set off by a glory of golden hair such 
as no one had ever seen. It was finer than the 
finest silk, and so abundant and so long that it 
fell in shining, rippling curls to her very feet. 
She crowned it daily with a garland of flowers, 
and let it fall over her graceful shoulders and 
rich robes like a mantle. Because of her mar¬ 
vellous hair she was known everywhere by the 
name of Goldenlocks, and her beauty was such 
that no one could see her without loving her. 

Among the neighbouring sovereigns was a 
young King, who was very rich. This monarch 


223 







FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
heard so often of the beautiful Princess with the 
golden locks, that although they had not met, 
he fell violently in love with her; he let his 
imagination dwell on her to such an extent that 
at last he could neither eat nor sleep, and he 
resolved to send an ambassador to ask her hand 
in marriage. He got a splendid State coach 
made, and sent a hundred superbly caparisoned 
horses and a hundred riders in gold and scarlet 
liveries with the ambassador, as an escort for 
the Princess. He never doubted that she would 
accept his proposal gladly. 

After the escort had started, the Court could 
talk of nothing but the approaching marriage, 
and preparations for celebrating it were begun. 
The rooms to be occupied by the bride were 
newly furnished in the richest and most fashion¬ 
able manner, and new dresses for every day of 
the year, of the most costly velvets, satins, or 
brocades, embroidered with diamonds, pearls, 
and emeralds, were ordered by the King to be 
made, and to be ready for the bride’s use when 
she should arrive. 

After travelling many days the ambassador 
224 


GOLDENLOCKS 

arrived at the palace of Goldenlocks, and was 
granted an immediate audience. 

He delivered his message and laid out before 
the Princess the costly jewels which his master 
had sent for her acceptance. What was his 
surprise, as well as his disappointment, when 
Goldenlocks told him to thank the King, his 
master, for the honour he did her in asking her 
to be his wife, but to tell him that she had no 
intention of marrying anyone at that time ! Of 
course she could not accept the valuable presents 
sent, since she was not willing to marry the 
sender, but to show that she did not wish to 
be ungracious, she kept a pretty little box of 
fine English pins—articles which could not be 
obtained in her own country. 

The ambassador took his leave and set off 
with a sad heart to return to the Court of his 
own King, where he was awaited with impatience. 
When he arrived with no golden-haired beauty 
in the coach there was great lamentation, and 
the disappointed young King was quite incon¬ 
solable. 

Among the lords of the Court was a youth 
225 * 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
named Avenant, who was of quite extraordinary 
beauty. His elegant figure and frank, handsome 
face, together with his winning charm of manner, 
were so pleasing that people said it was like the 
rising sun, which brightens all around it. Every¬ 
one loved him, except two or three envious 
people, such as are to be found everywhere, who 
hated the youth because the King regarded him 
with special favour. 

Avenant was one day standing near a group 
of courtiers who were criticizing the ambassador 
because of his failure to bring Goldenlocks back 
with him. 

“ He had not used much eloquence, I 
think ! ” said one of them. 

“ I agree with you,” said Avenant carelessly. 
“ If the King had given me the mission I feel 
sure the Princess would have come back with 
me!” 

Some of these men were wicked enough to 
repeat these words to the King in such a way 
as to make his Majesty think that Avenant had 
boasted that his own personal attractions were 
so great that the Princess would have followed 
226 


GOLDENLOCKS 

him anywhere, and that she would have fallen 
in love with him even in preference to his 
Majesty. 

“ Only think of his presumption ! ” said 
they. “ To think that he would have succeeded 
where your Majesty has failed ! ” This made 
the King furious : 

“ Ha ! ” said he, “ this pretty pet of mine 
makes game of my misfortune, does he? He 
makes himself of more importance than I am ! 
We shall see ! Throw him into the dungeon 
and let him die of hunger ! ” 

The guards went to find Avenant, who by 
this time had quite forgotten his thoughtless 
words. They dragged him to a tower and 
heaped insults on him, handling him roughly 
on the way. They left him in the dark dungeon 
without food, and with only a little straw on 
which he could lie down. After a time he was 
ready to die of hunger, and suffered from such 
thirst that he must have died had not a glimmer 
of light from the slit high up in the wall fallen 
for a moment on some water which was oozing 
through the ground at one side of the dungeon. 

227 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
He lay down on the ground and cooled his lips 
in the tiny stream, sucking in the fresh water as 
it rose. Feeling somewhat refreshed, he began 
to reflect upon his hard fate. 

“ How have I offended the King ? ” he asked 
himself in piteous tones. “ He had no more 
loyal subject or more faithful friend. I would 
willingly have died for him ! ” 

These words he repeated again and again, 
though the walls could give him no answer. 

After some days, the King, who felt lonely 
without his friend, and who may have begun 
to feel some remorse, went for his morning 
walk along a path which passed close by the 
tower. Hearing the pitiful sound, he recog¬ 
nized Avenant’s voice, though it was weak and 
tremulous, and he stopped to listen, in spite of 
the attempts of his courtiers to lead him away. 

“ Surely, Sire,” said they, “ you are not 
going to amuse yourself by listening to that 
wretch ! ” 

“ Have done! ” replied the King. “ It is my 
will to listen ! ” 

Soon he made out every word of the poor 
228 


GOLDENLOCKS 

youth’s lament, and the tears rushed down his 
cheeks. He ordered the warden to open the 
door of the tower, and he himself called Avenant 
by name. 

Avenant, who could hardly stand, groped his 
way along the wall toward the door, not knowing 
what fate might have in store for him. At the 
door he fell on his knees and kissed the King’s 
feet, while he sobbed : 

“ Wherein have I offended your Majesty, 
that I should be so cruelly punished ? ” 

“ You made game of me and my ambassador,” 
replied the King. “You said that if I had sent 
you for the Princess Goldenlocks, you could 
easily have brought her back with you.” 

“ That is quite true,” said Avenant. “ I, 
who know you so well, could have told her of all 
your good qualities, and I should have described 
you so eloquently that she could not have helped 
wanting to come with me ; but what was there 
in that to displease you, Sire ? ” 

The King saw that he had judged the young 
man wrongly, and he looked angrily at those 
who had deceived him. He led Avenant to the 
229 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
palace, telling him as they went how deeply he 
regretted having punished him so unjustly, and 
after bidding the servants bring refreshments, 
told him to rest till supper, after which they 
would have a little private talk together. 

As Avenant was young and healthy, the 
good food and refreshing wine soon restored 
his strength, and having nothing now to sadden 
him he recovered his lightness of heart. 

In due time he partook, also, of the grand 
supper prepared for him, and at its close the 
King summoned him to his private apartment. 
After a few minutes’ conversation : 

“ Avenant,” said the King, “ I am still deeply 
in love with the Princess Goldenlocks. Her 
refusal has not completely discouraged me, but 
I find it difficult to see how I can induce her to 
consent to marry me. I should like to send you 
to see if you could not succeed.” 

“ I ask for nothing better, Sire,” replied 
Avenant. “ I shall set off to-morrow, if you 
wish it.” 

“ That is too soon,” said the King, “ for I 
must give you a fitting escort.” 

230 


GOLDENLOCKS 

“ No escort is necessary,” said Avenant. 
“ All I need is a good horse and your Majesty’s 
letters of introduction.” 

The King, delighted to find the youth so 
ready to serve him, threw his arms round him 
and kissed him fondly. 

Next morning the finest horse in the royal 
stables was led to the door of the palace, and 
Avenant, bearing the King’s letters, mounted 
and rode off on his mission, followed by the 
admiring eyes of all in the royal household. 

During the whole of the long journey Ave¬ 
nant thought of nothing but how he could best 
plead the King’s cause. 

When his horse needed rest to and drink, he 
would choose a shady part of some wood near 
the banks of a stream, and while his horse rested 
he sat on the grass and prepared the speech 
which he would make to the Princess. 

One day, while he was thus engaged, a golden 
carp, chasing an insect, overleapt itself, and fell 
on the bank near him. It was early morning, 
for he always started at break of day, and the 
fine fish would have made him a good breakfast, 
23 1 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
but Avenant only saw the agony of the beautiful 
fish struggling for its life. He rose from the 
grass and, lifting the carp, dropped it gendy 
into the water. As soon as it felt itself in the 
fresh cool stream again, it revived and sped like 
a flash to the deepest part, below the overhanging 
turf, but it rose again so near the surface that 
Avenant could see it, and to his astonishment 
he heard it say : 

“ Avenant, I thank you for what you have 
done for me. I shall reward you.” 

Continuing his journey the next day Avenant 
saw a raven pursued by an eagle, which would 
have torn it to pieces had not Avenant come to 
its rescue. 

“ How the strong oppress the weak! ” thought 
he, and, taking an arrow from his quiver, he 
drew his bow and shot the eagle a moment 
before it could seize its prey. The eagle fell to 
the ground dead, and the raven, delighted to 
find itself alive and unhurt, came and perched 
on the branch of a tree quite near. 

“ Avenant,” said he, “ you are very kind to 
have taken the trouble to help me, who am only 
232 


GOLDENLOCKS 

a poor raven, and I shall not forget your kind¬ 
ness. One day I may be able to reward you.” 

Avenant again marvelled at this strange 
happening, and continued his journey. One 
day he started so early to avoid too much 
travelling in the heat of the day that he could 
hardly see his way through a wood he had to 
cross. Quite near him he heard the despairing 
shriek of an owl. 

“ There’s a poor owl in a bad plight! ” said 
he to himself. “ I should not be surprised if 
it is in the meshes of some hunter’s net.” He 
groped about on one side and another, trying to 
follow the sound, and came upon some nets 
spread on the ground in which the unfortunate 
owl had got snared. 

“ What a pity it is, ” thought he, “ that men 
seem to take so much pleasure in tormenting 
each other and in persecuting the dumb crea¬ 
tures that do them no harm ! ” 

He took out his knife and cut the meshes 
that held the owl, and, finding itself set free, 
the bird swiftly flew up, but made a downward 
swoop toward its benefactor to say : 

233 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Avenant, it needs not a long speech to make 
you understand how much I am obliged to you. 
I have a grateful heart. I shall reward you.” 

These were the three principal adventures 
of Avenant’s journey, for he was in such a 
hurry to get to the end of it that he wasted 
no time. 

When he arrived at the palace of Princess 
Goldenlocks, he found that it surpassed in 
splendour everything he had imagined. 

Having removed the traces of his journey, 
Avenant combed and powdered his hair, as was 
the fashion of that day. He wore his Court 
attire of scarlet and gold, the velvet cap adorned 
with scarlet and white plumes. His splendidly 
embroidered cape was thrown carelessly over 
his shoulder, and his shoes glistened with 
diamond buckles. Thus arrayed he took a 
dainty basket in which was a lovely little dog 
which he had brought to offer to the Princess, 
and presented himself at the gate of the palace. 
He was so handsome and so gracious in manner 
and speech that the guards bowed low before 
him. He told them his name and his errand, 
234 


GOLDENLOCKS 

then gave the letters of introduction to be taken 
to the Princess. 

The lords-in-waiting hurried to tell Golden- 
locks that Avenant had come from the great 
King who was her nearest neighbour. 

“ Avenant! ” said Goldenlocks. “ That is 
a pleasant name, and I doubt not its bearer is 
handsome and pleasing to look upon.” 

“ Indeed he is ! ” said the maids-of-honour. 
“ We saw him from the garret, where we were 
getting flax for our spinning, and so long as he 
stood under the windows we could do nothing 
but look at him ! ” 

“ That is a nice story, indeed ! ” said the 
Princess. “You amuse yourselves watching 
young gentlemen! Come! Make haste to dress 
me. Bring my blue satin pearl-embroidered 
gown, comb out my golden curls, weave a wreath 
of fresh flowers for my hair, and give me my 
fan and my high-heeled shoes.” 

The ladies ran in haste to do her bidding; 
they dressed her like a Queen, and she went into 
the great gallery of mirrors, to view herself from 
every side, and to make sure that no part of 
235 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
her toilet had been neglected. Having satisfied 
herself on that point, she went to the audience- 
chamber and seated herself on her magnificent 
throne of ivory, ebony, and gold. 

She commanded her maidens to take their 
musical instruments, seat themselves at a con¬ 
venient distance, and sing softly to low sweet 
accompaniments, so that the music should not 
interfere with the conversation she held with 
her guest. 

When Avenant was brought into the throne- 
room and saw the Princess, he was struck dumb 
with admiration, and his well-prepared speech 
went almost out of his memory. For a few 
moments he had not a word to say. Neverthe¬ 
less he took courage, and having begun to de¬ 
liver his master’s message and to plead for him, 
his eloquence increased at every sentence. He 
finished by entreating the Princess not to give 
him the pain of returning to his master without 
her. 

“ Dear Avenant,” said the Princess, “ you 
plead well, and all your arguments are good. 
You have so favourably impressed me that I 
236 



AVENANT PLEADS WITH GOLDILOCKS 


























































GOLDENLOCKS 

am inclined to your petition more than to that 
of any other who has ever come to me. I cannot, 
however, go with you at once, for this reason : 
While I was walking by the river a month ago I 
took off my glove, and in doing so I drew from 
my finger a very precious ring which, unfortu¬ 
nately, fell into the stream. That ring I prized 
more than my father’s kingdom, and my grief 
for its loss is inexpressible. I have made a vow 
that I shall listen to no proposal of marriage 
unless he who comes as ambassador can find 
this ring and bring it to me. Perchance you may 
recover it; otherwise your pleading is useless.” 

Avenant was much astonished at this reply, 
but he made the Princess a courtly bow, and, 
before retiring, begged her acceptance of the 
little dog and a magnificent scarf. But the 
Princess said she wanted no presents ; she hoped 
he would pay attention to what she had said to 
him. 

When Avenant was conducted to the house 
where he was to lodge he went to bed without 
supper. Frisky, his little dog, also refused to 
eat, and lay down on the bed beside him. The 
237 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
whole night long Avenant lay awake sighing. 

“ What hope is there of finding a ring lost in a 
great river a month ago ? ” said he. “It would 
be folly to try. The Princess has set me an 
impossible task in order to get rid of me.” 

Frisky, who saw his grief, was as much dis¬ 
tressed as his master, but he tried his best to 
comfort him. 

“ My dear master,” said he, “ I beg of you 
not to give up hope of succeeding. When day¬ 
light comes, let us go to the riverside; it can do 
no harm to look for the ring.” 

Avenant patted him gently without speaking, 
and worn out with the emotions of the day, he 
fell sound asleep. 

At the first streak of dawn the little dog 
jumped off the bed, and frisked about to such 
good purpose that he awakened his master. 

Avenant dressed and went down to the garden, 
hardly caring what he did. From the garden he 
strolled toward the river, unconsciously follow¬ 
ing the lead of the little dog. He walked slowly, 
his cap drawn over his eyes and his arms crossed 
on his bosom. He was too sad to take notice 
238 



GOLDENLOCKS 

of the beautiful dawn, and brooded over his 
return, when he would have to tell the King of 
his failure. 

Suddenly he heard a voice calling him by 
name : 

“ Avenant! Avenant! ” 

He looked around, but no one was to be 
seen, and he thought he must have been dream¬ 
ing, so he continued his walk. 

“ Avenant! Avenant! ” called the voice 
again. 

“ Who calls me ? ” cried Avenant. 

Frisky, being so small, could look easily into 
the clear water. 

“ Never believe me again,” said he, “ if it 
is not this golden carp which I see.” 

Avenant stepped quickly to the side of the 
river, and the carp addressed him : 

“ You saved my life when I lay gasping in 
the meadow by the willows, where, but for you, 
I must have died. I promised you to repay 
your kindness. Stretch out your hand, dear 
Avenant; here is the ring dropped in the river 
by the Golden-haired Beauty.” 

239 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

The carp opened its mouth; Avenant stooped 
down and took from it the much-wished-for ring. 
Then he thanked his friend many times over. 

Instead of going back to his lodging, Avenant 
went straight to the palace, followed by the 
faithful little Frisky, who was mightily pleased 
with himself. 

At the palace, Avenant again asked for an 
audience with the Princess, and an attendant 
went at once to announce him. 

“ Poor boy,” said she, “ he has no doubt 
come to say good-bye. He has evidently seen 
that I have asked him to do the impossible, and 
he is returning to tell his master.” 

Avenant was ushered in, and gracefully pre¬ 
sented the ring to the Princess, saying : 

“ Madam, your royal command is obeyed. 
May I ask if you are willing now to take the 
King, my master, for your husband ? ” 

When Goldenlocks saw the ring restored to 
her without a flaw, she was mute with astonish¬ 
ment, and seemed for a few moments to be in a 
dream; then she said : 

“ Really, my Avenant, some fairy must have 
240 


GOLDENLOCKS 

taken a fancy for you; you have performed what 
seems a miracle.” 

“ Madam,” replied Avenant, “ I am not 
acquainted with any fairy, but I had an ardent 
desire to give you pleasure.” 

“ Since you are so well disposed toward me,” 
said the Princess, “ you must render me another 
service; until it is done, I shall not marry. 
There is a Prince not far from here named 
Galifron, who has taken it into his head to force 
me to marry him. He threatens to destroy 
my country should I refuse. He is a giant of 
enormous strength, higher than that high tower, 
and he can seize and eat a man as easily as a 
monkey can eat a chestnut. I sent him word 
that I did not want to marry, and begged him to 
excuse me, but he has not ceased to persecute 
me. He kills my subjects whenever he gets a 
chance, so the greatest service you can render 
me is to bring me his head.” 

Avenant was rather stupefied by the proposal. 
He thought it over for a minute, however; then, 
drawing his slight figure up to its full height, he 
replied bravely : 


241 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Madam, I shall fight Galifron. I am sure 
to be vanquished, but at least I shall die a 
faithful servant and an honourable gentleman.” 

The Princess was painfully surprised. She 
had not expected such daring courage, and now 
did all she could to dissuade Avenant from 
undertaking so perilous an enterprise, but in 
vain. He went at once to choose his weapons 
and provide himself with all he should be likely 
to need. Then, being equipped with everything 
necessary, he put Frisky again in his basket, 
which he fastened to his saddle-bow, and mount¬ 
ing his charger set out to find Galifron. 

Whenever he met anyone likely to be able 
to give him information, he made inquiry about 
the whereabouts and the habits of the giant. 
Everyone spoke of him as a demon of cruelty, 
whom no one dared approach, and the more 
Avenant heard of him, the more he dreaded the 
task he had undertaken. Frisky saw his master’s 
anxiety, and did all he could to cheer and en¬ 
courage him. 

“ My dear master, while you are fighting the 
giant, I shall run and bite his legs,” said he; 

242 


GOLDENLOCKS 

“ he will have to stoop down to drive me away; 
then you will be able to cut off his head.” 

Avenant admired his little dog’s clever device, 
but he knew that something more than that 
would be needed to make him a match for his 
terrible opponent. 

As he neared the giant’s castle our hero’s 
courage was tested to the utmost, for on every 
hand were strewn the remains of the monster’s 
cannibal feasts. 

Soon Galifron himself appeared in the dis¬ 
tance, striding through the forest, head and 
shoulders higher than the tallest trees. The 
earth began to shake, and a voice more frightful 
than rolling thunder filled the air. It was the 
giant, singing as he came : 

t£ Where are the pretty babes ? 

Bring them to me. 

Be their skin dark or fair. 

Welcome they’ll be. 

Bring them all, big or small. 

Tender or tough; 

Though you bring all you find, 

’Tis not enough! ” 

243 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
Immediately Avenant took up the same 
tune and sang : 

“Proud Galifron, take care ! 

I’ll draw your teeth! 

I’ll lay you low ere I 

My good sword sheath ! 

Although I am not big 
My heart is strong; 

At last you’ve met your match, 

Who do such wrong.” 

When Galifron first heard the clear, tremulous 
voice, he looked around him in amazement, and 
now as the slender youth who, sword in hand, 
dared to defy him, came into view, he got into 
a fearful fury. He poised his massive iron¬ 
headed club, and would have pounded the brave 
youth to jelly, but for a raven, which at that 
very moment flew right in his face and picked 
out his eyes. The sightless giant hit out 
desperately on all sides. Foam flew from his 
great lips, and he yelled with rage. Avenant 
dodged the mighty blows, and pierced him in 
many places with his sword, twice over burying 
244 


GOLDENLOCKS 

it up to the hilt in the giant’s flesh. At last the 
monster staggered and fell prone on the ground. 
Avenant sprang upon him, and with his sword 
severed the giant’s head from his body. When 
the horrid head rolled off, Frisky danced and 
barked in frantic delight, while the raven, which 
had perched on a branch to watch the combat, 
flapped its wings and cawed approvingly; then 
it spoke : 

“ Avenant, I have not forgotten the service 
you rendered me when the eagle would have 
killed me. I promised you then that I would 
repay you. I think I have done so to-day.” 

“ I owe my victory and my life to you, Sir 
Raven,” replied Avenant, “ and I shall ever feel 
myself your debtor.” 

Having thus thanked the raven, Avenant 
prepared to return to the palace of Goldenlocks. 
He tied the hideous head by its hair to the girth, 
put Frisky in his basket, remounted his charger, 
and did not draw rein till he reached the city. 
There, as the people saw him arrive with the 
head of Galifron, the noise was deafening, for 
the whole population followed him, shouting : 

245 



FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
“ Hurrah ! Hurrah ! Avenant has killed the 
giant! ” 

Goldenlocks heard the commotion and her 
heart sank. She did not dare to ask what it 
meant, lest she might hear that Avenant had 
been killed. Soon, however, she saw him ride 
into the courtyard with the terrible head, and 
the sight of it was so shocking that, although 
there was nothing now to fear, she trembled 
from head to foot. Soon Avenant was ushered 
into her presence. He bowed low, and said : 

“ Madam, your enemy is dead; I hope you 
will no longer refuse to marry the King, my 
master.” 

“ Oh ! indeed ! ” said the Princess. “ But 
I will refuse him, unless you can bring me some 
water from the fairy fountain of the Dismal 
Cave. There is, not far from here, a great 
grotto which measures six leagues round its 
sides. Its entrance is guarded by fiery dragons, 
which spit flame at all intruders. In the dark 
centre of this grotto is a deep hollow, filled with 
all loathsome creeping things : snakes, toads, and 
serpents. At the bottom of this hollow is the 
246 


GOLDENLOCKS 

mouth of a small cave through which flows the 
fountain of beauty and health. Some of the 
water of that stream I must have. Its virtue 
is so marvellous that all who wash in it are for 
ever young and beautiful. You can easily under¬ 
stand, Avenant, that I cannot quit my country 
without taking some of this priceless water with 
me.” 

“ Madam,” said Avenant, “ you are already 
so beautiful that you do not need this water, but 
I am an unfortunate ambassador, whose death 
you desire. I go to try to find what you ask, 
but I go knowing that I shall never return.” 

These touching words did not make the 
Princess change her resolution, and Avenant 
set out with Frisky to seek the Gloomy Grotto 
in which was the Dismal Cave, whence he was 
to bring the Water of Eternal Youth and Beauty. 

All who met him on the way looked sadly 
after him, saying to each other: “ How pitiful 
it is to see such a charming young man go so 
readily to his doom! ” 

Avenant rode steadily on, though sad at 
heart. He came at length to the top of a hill, 
247 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
both steep and high, from which a good view of 
the surrounding country could be got. Here he 
dismounted to let his horse rest and graze, while 
Frisky ran about chasing the flies. He looked 
carefully around for traces of the Gloomy Grotto, 
as he knew it could not be far away, and soon 
perceived a massive rock, black as ink, from 
which belched great volumes of smoke. A puff 
of wind blew the clouds aside and revealed one 
of the dragons; fire issuing from its eyes, mouth, 
and nostrils, a fearful-looking creature! Its 
body was yellow and green, its feet were armed 
with long, cruel claws, and its great tail was 
twisted in a hundred coils. Frisky caught sight 
of it, and was petrified with terror. 

Avenant, already prepared for death, drew his 
sword and descended the hill, taking with him 
a little phial given him by Goldenlocks to fill 
with the wonderful water. 

“ I am done for,” said he to Frisky; “ it is 
impossible to get the water guarded by such 
dragons, but I go to make the attempt. When 
I am dead, I want you, my faithful little friend, 
to fill this phial with my blood and take it to 
248 


GOLDENLOCKS 

the Princess, that she may see the price I have 
paid for trying to please her; then go to the 
King, my master, and tell him the story of my 
misfortunes.” 

He had hardly finished this mournful speech 
when he heard a voice calling : 

“ Avenant! Avenant! ” 

“ Who is calling me ? ” asked he, turning in 
the direction from which the voice had come. 
An owl, looking out of a hole in an old tree, 
replied : 

“ You released me from the fowler’s net, and 
so saved my life. I promised you then that I 
should reward you, and my opportunity has 
come. Give me the phial. I know all the outs 
and ins of the Gloomy Grotto and the Dismal 
Cave. I will fetch you water from the Spring 
of Eternal Youth and Beauty ! ” 

Whose heart, think you, bounded with joy ? 
You can guess ! 

Avenant quickly handed over the phial, 
and the owl flew unhindered into the Gloomy 
Grotto. In less than a quarter of an hour he 
returned, bringing the phial well filled and 
249 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
firmly corked. Avenant was delighted. He 
thanked the owl with all his heart, and was very 
soon on his way back to the city, in a more joyful 
mood than that in which he had left it. 

When he arrived, he went straight to the 
palace, and presented the phial to the Princess, 
who had no longer excuse for not accompanying 
him. She ordered everything to be prepared 
for her departure, and soon they set off together. 
On the way, he was so respectful and attentive, 
and such pleasant company, that she often wished 
that he had been the King she was travelling to 
marry. 

One day she said to him : 

“ If you had wished to marry me yourself, 
Avenant, I should have made you King, and we 
should not have needed to leave my country.” 

Avenant, however, replied at once : 

“I would not have done anything so disloyal 
and unfaithful for all the kingdoms of the world, 
though I yield to no one in my admiration of 
your beauty.” 

Messengers had been sent with tidings that 
Avenant was bringing the Golden-haired Prin- 
250 


GOLDENLOCKS 

cess with him, so they were met outside the 
capital by the King, who made the Princess the 
grandest and most costly presents ever seen. 
The marriage took place amid great rejoicings. 
Everything was done with such magnificence 
that nothing else was talked of for a long time 
afterward. 

But in spite of all her grandeur, Goldenlocks 
was not really happy. She had become so 
attached to Avenant that he was never out of her 
thoughts, and she was never weary of talking 
about him and the great deeds he had done for 
her. 

“ But for Avenant, I should never have been 
here,” said she to the King. “ He performed 
seemingly impossible feats for my pleasure. 
You are under great obligation to him; he even 
fetched me water from the Spring of Eternal 
Youth and Beauty; thus I shall never grow old, 
but shall be always beautiful.” 

Among those who heard the Queen speak 
thus were some who were very envious of 
Avenant. They took the first opportunity to 
say to the King : 


251 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

“ Your Majesty is not at all jealous, though 
you have such good reason to be so. Her 
Majesty the Queen is so fond of Avenant that 
she can neither eat nor drink. She does nothing 
but talk of the obligations you are under to him, 
as if no one else whom you could have sent 
could have succeeded in bringing her.” 

The King replied : 

“ Now you mention it, I can see it for my¬ 
self. Go and put him in irons, and shut him 
up in the tower.” 

They took Avenant, and as a reward for 
serving his King so loyally he was again flung 
in chains into the tower. He was allowed to see 
no one but his gaoler, who threw him his piece 
of black bread through a slit in the wall and 
gave him water in an earthenware bowl. How¬ 
ever, Frisky remained faithful to him, consoled 
him as well as he could, and brought him all 
the news. 

When Goldenlocks heard how Avenant had 
been treated she threw herself weeping at the 
feet of the King, and besought him to take 
the youth out of prison, but the more she 
252 


GOLDENLOCKS 

begged, the more angry he became, saying to 
himself: 

“ It must be that she loves him.” 

At last, seeing that she could not move the 
King, Goldenlocks ceased mentioning Avenant’s 
name, but she became very sad. 

The King began to fear that perhaps the 
Queen did not think him sufficiently good- 
looking, and he resolved to bathe his face with 
some of the wonderful water Goldenlocks had 
brought with her, so that she might like him 
better. 

Now, in order that she should always have 
it at hand, the Queen kept the precious phial 
in her sleeping-chamber on the mantelpiece. 
That morning a careless maid, trying to kill a 
spider with her broom, knocked over the phial, 
and the priceless liquid was scattered over the 
floor. The maid quickly gathered up the frag¬ 
ments of glass and removed all traces of the 
mishap; then, recalling that she had noticed a 
similar phial in the King’s dressing-room, she 
fetched this and placed it where the broken phial 
had stood. 


253 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 

Unfortunately the King’s phial contained a 
poisonous mixture, very deadly in its action. If 
rubbed on the skin it would induce a deep 
sleep from which the victim would never 
awake. 

When, therefore, his Majesty carried out his 
purpose, having secured what he thought was 
the magic elixir, he immediately fell into a deep 
sleep, and ere long his horrified gentlemen dis¬ 
covered that he was dead. 

Frisky was quick to carry the news to 
Avenant, who bade him find his way to the 
Queen, and beg her to remember the poor 
prisoner. 

Frisky, being small, slipped easily through 
the crowd which gathered round the Queen— 
for there was great parade of mourning at 
Court. 

When the little dog reached her Majesty, he 
touched her gently with his paw to draw her 
attention. She looked down into a pair of 
beseeching eyes raised to hers, and heard a soft 
voice saying : 

“ Madam, do not forget poor Avenant.” 

254 


GOLDENLOCKS 

Avenant’s great fidelity, and all he had 
suffered on her account, flashed to the mind of 
the Queen. 

Without saying a word to those about her 
she left the palace forthwith and went straight 
to the tower, where she ordered the warden 
to open the heavily barred door. She her¬ 
self went to the dungeon and took the chains 
from the hands and feet of the prisoner, after 
which she led Avenant to the palace, seated 
him on the throne, placed the crown of gold on 
his head, and hung the royal mantle over his 
shoulders. 

Then, in presence of the whole Court, she 
said: 

“ Avenant, I myself crown you King, and 
take you for my husband.” 

At these gracious and condescending words, 
Avenant knelt at the Queen’s feet, raised her 
hand to his lips, and thanked her. 

The mourning at Court was now changed to 
great rejoicing, everyone being delighted that 
Avenant was King. 

The wedding ceremonies were very splendid. 
255 


FAVOURITE FRENCH FAIRY TALES 
No one had ever seen such a lovely bride and 
such a handsome bridegroom. 

Queen Goldenlocks and the brave King 
Avenant lived together happily to a good old 
age, both retaining their handsome appearance, 
despite the loss of the wonderful water. 


7 2 0 « 
71 $ ' 

































































*7 



■i * 7 ^ ^ o ^ o x\. vr/^ 2 . * 

^ o x o ©* * o5 ^ o 

_ , v ^ s "* > A o c> * ,:' r/ 3 v* J v v^ ..--• v •: 

s * * j *>- * 3 H 0 ' ^ ,• * 0 °^ * « I ' * \^ s * * , **>-* 9 H 0 * rfP 

T Ay . 0‘ 1 0 /* C‘ V S ' /y ^ V V 

^ ^ c- ^\W 4 ^. ^ AV | " 

KSsTV _ -C v ~ A\\\1KW/J ,, - \ 

. \V V ,f d 

O 



tf i ' 



<3 «£» * *P X 

&£,V° % X * f 

15 J/. > ; 21 '• 


♦ *- s ’ < 



.X % ' .. ... . 

% '^T'' ,o* 

- ^ ^ -VW; ' 

A -A 

^ Cr ^Z/J) ) ^ * & 

i C ^OiA' v O rt* 

JR* a * - ^v- 

n «• n 'A 


X* S 00 ^ \\\ ^^ / ' z ^ 

50 <\V </> 

■\* 

'> v ,^ N 

* y\ O */ s s <L> 

x- o* a\ . o n o t,^' ^ 

^ \\ 



# - - ^ 


„; .>: ^ v* : 

fe>-- x°^<. ■' 


y .n *%, 'y•<-<.'o 
■ y x s .. , e*. * ».s o ’ y> 

J * <A * A\ /K ° ^’r \V 

: v' -.r ^ ^ ° 

<\V </> 

Y 


^ - 0 v o \0 

S - * • / . ' s 


-X' a\ <x ✓ 

++ V 


r, 

s 


A'O c w ^ fi O 


x°° 


V 

o 0 


x 






^^ v 4 

- 



£>! r. 





■X 






>> *> -%o^ 

*S&p * ^V> v 

l^V* 

•J 



*p 

<?n \\> * 

A-\ X 





. *4. 

: x°^. 


* V 

/\ O 'V y ~ s ,o' <r 

> X c 0 K c # ^ * * .o^ ^ ' 8 . ' „ 

.> *s cSo \\W ^ 


a 0 


•7 ^ 



,\V </> 

■\ xX ^ 



> 

*\ V CL ^ Y 

s ,., v>«" i V . „ * *' 1 * ^ » • • , ^- * ’ 

4°, "-•< , 

c v> x, 

r ^ 

» °*‘\y c»««rv'~ r ''y •-•«% % 

& 



x V 




/ X V ^ 

A \ ^ y 

\ x ^ 
<P x^ X c 0 N G n *ri 

-t 'f' .'^ 0 /► 

Js X ^ ^ ^ 1 

ft * A V ® , 

<x 

rv ^ 


.0 

























*7^ ‘ t> 

A V ° 

- o5 ^ 

\V 

* <A 

«I' * .A , . . , *■' * - « ' - 0 ’ 

\ ‘ • , w * >■ 

-. V^/ V V ^ ^ C* <* *<* 

^ ' .' H , - %4'- .*i&:V* ***«** 

>%. AOT* ^ 

•4 

v 


<^\ ^ ^" ' ■''. , ''.^r ^ V ' < - ^ 

^ ,0 c o *V *' a* 

't * 0 *}' r ® * ' * \ V, * <* > 

\ V ^ w A C" \ * S '/. ^ 

■v *■ .R -i *„ ^ * 

> rJ\ ,' V ^ *<' 4 V> ** >?> \*w <%, /* 





,A V ^ 




• , • —\*f» * V; TJ" ,j ' :i ) J * 

A* c 0 * A C> ,(V v * * 

^ o ^ v; x 

: • v#*K- w .''/rf^V^- ^ :«s 

^ ►>; A -y,* o5 'v-r^r . p<u ^ 

<£ . % V# V \v 

4*"'* A< x”,>>*’“•■> 0 ..,% '"'* ,\ 

^ /' *VaA\ *<s 


</* A v 



*✓ A' v* 



<P r .V, 

’ i> \A 

'A / x 

^V^^vWvi «• \V ~ .K 

y 0 , V * /\ 

\ 1 » * ^<$> 0 N G ^ ^ ^ ^ ' 1 » « ^ 



** X v^- 

S S <6 




r °- ^TT.-V ,.. f V'*,;.^ 

V o!«.'*, " A 

> *- % / - 


ff 'J> 

'Kj, <&' <- ■\ w &.v-± 

^ / / ' ' c X C< ^ f * . ** 




v\> tP 

'. 0 j? k v '\ O 7 / , S, S <“ y 0*Jw x - ^ 

% A^ X c° K S '^b * * A 1 * * '<f> V ^ X c o C , 

-» ^ , V * fi .3 C» V v», % ^ * r^vl^ 

^ ^ ^ M- '- , f A' 

^ v r ;#: ^ ° 

x 00 ^ 

, C ^ ^ ", %, ^ c " '" «<• 

Q- L X s 


^ /■ c* 


» I ^ 





"t/> 


'V ^ 

z. 


z ;;' ^ ...^ 

° '• ,^- ' r ' 


0 / C' 

V v xv 


z 




xVV ',/> '■ «s3j e=r^ c C,S 

^ J f. . ^s 1 \ O A/ / t s < 0 

^ •** \\ 'Z <V‘Cr > V \ \ R ’/ 

-f ^ c r 0' v ^ ' k ^ * 

"°° X 

^>* ,N ° /t".,^,''"'' /o t> f X' , "»' 1, ‘ l 

^ » gL ^ *« 






A v * aV </* 

> > 


/ 

% : --w y - 

'»*''* A * „ ■ ■?, 

<- c 0 ~ c « 7 , 

^ o v0 6 


















. - it 
.• nr • 

* u{. 

b t’ Air 


g™ 

fin/ 

# A* A 

<A ae f. fc 

jfj»M 

■■■ n - i 

»- ».c. 
•f i s- V* 

it 

Sjij 

* iv * 


*/n £13 - * O Kit l * 

StjftitSv-vrij 

» * V ' « *• ' \ i 1, y V ? 1 

*" At- 1 4 J i: i f It. FUI 
• • , 

I • \ '. . V 

■i « w J « *4 . f »i- >.-T> 

Ml- ul.* 

•, J » 

< r , * * ♦ • w * & «i “>i 

l» A, Al T>H ^ '> *5 

V|¥ *: if >T .• \ / r- | flB 

• * i . ir ,u i*. . i \ic •. 

f! J j¥ I I it X •■ ji < 
7 / ■ ' >. - *, * %ji# y ■•■ t 

»i- t r- 4 '• J * * ,p- | . ,t , 

- i I- »; i i '' j i & . 

i it j * r 47wTr 1 i 

V- ) « } K. 7 * . _ , • , * 

^ nr ». a • ill''.,. 1. 

> * * . ♦ t ; • i*. i k- < r 1 - 7 

■';?Vi J v.U5‘ r sw 

l! f ■ i -j * 

• *?«!’ita}- 5. V 4 i •’ 

n * r & e>- i 

' - * * T « ; - »- * » * 1 . • ; 

Si* t J 

? . .*• A* lie uc »r , * I 

H<nj y i 

» t i* I • * * • I : * ■ 

■ v: • ■•, 

• 'vi. « i * A.;. 


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 


0002571434 ^ 


■' - -•* •» • « 1 •• i ■ i‘ <. \v 

•V :-v-: 

! '*• 


• **■ 9 ' .• ' *. ' * 

/>« /•’■' 


'Lj 0;/t I $ y* At > f’j 
i . S'i ; • \ i - #r ,. « * 

, 1 I . • , 

i r .* * f i» / VlV 

5^#VJ JJ p 

v- - t’-’ 

K/r .1* »» > * i« • j * . i 

;• <• ^ e v. * i• r /• • f * i! 

»' ,T r '4 i* .• i , * 

' • ^* f . i Aik f 

;;• fH.tf,: ’,/<»? 


y f 3 » fry 

M \ f it % c. 

i — ? I it A d , 






A ■ r , i f. ■* j» 

«>■ > i i- >< 




































































